>-<    • 

.     MEMOIRS 


CORRESPONDENCE  AND  MANUSCRIPTS 


OF 


GENERAL 


PUBLISHED  BY  HIS  FAMILY 


VOL.  I. 


NEW    YORK 
SAUNDERS  AND  OTLEY  ANN  STREET 

AND  CONDUIT  STREET  LONDON. 
MDCCCXXXVII. 


<—  <z*J 


ENTERED  according  to  the   act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1837, 

BY     WILLIAM     A.     DUER, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


NEW 

CRAIGHEAD     AND     ALLOEN 
PRINTERS. 


MEMOIRS 


CORRESPONDENCE    AND    MANUSCRIPTS 


GENERAL  LAFAYETTE. 


ADVERTISEMENT 

OF    THE    AMERICAN    EDITOR 


IT  was  the  desire  of  the  late  General  Lafayette,  that 
this  edition  of  his  Memoirs  and  Correspondence  should 
be  considered  as  a  legacy  to  the  American  people. 
His  representatives  have  accordingly  pursued  a  course 
which  they  conceived  the  best  adapted  to  give  effect  to 
his  wishes,  by  furnishing  a  separate  edition  for  this 
country,  without  any  reservation  for  their  own  advantage, 
beyond  the  transfer  of  the  copyright  as  an  indemnity 
for  the  expense  and  risk  of  publication. 

In  this  edition  are  inserted  some  letters  which  will  not 
appear  in  the  editions  published  in  Paris  and  London. 
They  contain  details  relating  to  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  render  the  present  edition  more  complete,  or, 
at  least,  more  interesting  to  Americans.  Although 
written  during  the  first  residence  of  General  Lafayette  in 


ADVERTISE  MENT. 

America — when  he  was  little  accustomed  to  write  in  the 
English  language — the  letters  in  question  are  given  ex- 
actly as  they  came  from  his  pen — and  as  well  as  the 
others  in  the  collection  written  by  him  in  that  language, 
are  distinguished  from  those  translated  from  the  Frenchj 
by  having  the  word  "  Original"  prefixed  to  them. 

It  was  intended  that  these  letters  should  have  been 
arranged  among  those  in  the  body  of  the  work,  in  the 
order  of  their  respective  dates ;  but  as  the  latter  had 
been  stereotyped  before  the  former  had  been  transmitted 
to  the  American  editor,  this  design  was  rendered  imprac- 
ticable. They  have  therefore  from  necessity  been  added 
in  a  supplemental  form  with  the  marginal  notes  which 
seemed  requisite  for  their  explanation. 
Columbia  College,  N.  Y.,July,  1837. 


RESPECTFULLY  to  collect  and  scrupulously 
to  arrange  the  manuscripts  of  which  an 
irreparable  misfortune  has  rendered  them 
depositaries,  have  been  for  the  Family  of 
General  Lafayette  the  accomplishment  of  a 
sacred  duty. 

To  publish  those  manuscripts  without 
any  commentary,  and  place  them,  unaltered, 
in  the  hands  of  the  friends  of  Liberty,  is 
a  pious  and  solemn  homage  which  his 
children  now  offer  with  confidence  to  his 
memory. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  LAFAYETTE. 


NOTICK  BY  THE  EDITORS. 


UNDER  the  title  of  Revolution  of  America,  are  com- 
prised eight  years  of  M.  de  Lafayette's  life,*  from 
the  commencement  of  1771  until  the  end  of  1784. 
His  three  voyages  to  the  United  States  divide  those 
eight  years  into  three  periods  :  1777,  1778  ;  1779 — 
1781  ;  and  1782—1784. 

1st.  Circumstantial  Memoirs,  written  for  his  friends 
after  the  peace  of  Versailles,  and  which  were  to  have 
extended  to  1780,  open  this  collection. 

2nd.  These  are  continued  and  completed  by  two 
detached  relations,  composed  between  1800  and 
1814  ;  the  first,  which  has  no  title,  and  might  be 
called  Notice  of  the  American  Life  of  General  La- 
fayette, appears  to  have  been  written  for  a  person 
intending  to  publish  the  history  of  the  war,  or  of 
General  Washington  ;  the  second  is  entitled,  Obser- 
vations on  some  portion  of  American  History,  by  a 
friend  of  General  Lafayette. 

As  these  two  relations,  both  written  by  M.  de 
Lafayette,  and  which  we  designate  under  the  names 

*  M.  de  Lafayette  (Marie-Paul-Joseph-Roch-Yois-Gilbert 
Metier)  born  at  Chavaniac,  in  Auvergne,  the  6th  of  September, 
1757;  married  the  llth  of  April,  1774;  set  out  for  America 
the  26th  of  April,  1777.  The  other  dates  will  be  mentioned  in 
proper  order,  with  each  particular  event.  All  the  notes  which 
are  not  followed  by  the  name  of  M.  de  Lafayette,  may  be  attri- 
buted to  the  members  of  his  family,  sole  editors  of  this  work. 
VOL,  I.  A 


ii  NOTICE    BY   THE    EDITORS. 

of  Manuscript,  No.  1 ,  and  Manuscript,  No.  2,  con- 
tain a  second,  and  occasionally  a  third,  account  of 
events  already  mentioned  in  the  Memoirs,  we  have 
only  inserted  quotations  from  them. 

3rd.  A  relation  of  the  campaign  in  Virginia,  in 
1781,  shall  be  inserted  in  its  complete  state. 

4th.  Extracts  from  the  collection  of  the  general's 
speeches,  begun  by  him  in  1829,  will  give  some 
details  of  his  third  voyage  to  America  (1784). 

5th.  With  the  account  of  each  particular  period, 
that  portion  of  the  correspondence  which  may  relate 
to  it  will  be  inserted.  From  a  great  number  of 
letters,  written  from  America,  and  addressed  either 
to  France  or  to  America,  or  from  France  to  America, 
those  only  have  been  suppressed  whose  repetitions, 
or  details,  purely  military,  would  render  them  unin- 
teresting to  the  public. 

6th.  In  the  Correspondence,  some  letters  have 
been  inserted  from  General  Washington,  and  other 
contemporaries,  and  also  some  historical  records,  of 
which  M.  de  Lafayette  had  taken  copies,  or  which 
have  been  extracted  from  various  collections  pub- 
lished in  the  United  States. 


TO  THE  READER  * 


WHEN,  devoted  from  early  youth  to  the  amhition  of 
liberty,  I  beheld  no  limit  to  the  path  that  I  had 
opened  for  myself,  it  appeared  to  me  that  I  was 
sufficiently  fulfilling  my  destiny,  and  satisfying  my 
glory,  by  rushing  incessantly  forward,  and  leaving 
to  others  the  care  of  collecting  the  recollections,  as 
well  as  the  fruits,  of  my  labour. 

After  having  enjoyed  an  uninterrupted  course  of 
good  fortune  for  fifteen  years,  I  presented  myself, 
with  a  favourable  prospect  of  success,  before  the 
coalition  of  kings,  and  the  aristocracy  of  Europe  :  I 
was  overthrown  by  the  simultaneous  fury  of  French 
jacobinism.  My  person  was  then  given  up  to  the 
vengeance  of  my  natural  enemies,  and  my  reputa- 
tion to  the  calumnies  of  those  self-styled  patriots 
who  had  so  lately  violated  every  sworn  and  national 
guarantee.  It  is  well  known  that  the  regimen  of 
my  five  years'  imprisonment  was  not  favourable  to 
literary  occupations,  and  when,  on  my  deliverance 
from  prison,  I  was  advised  to  write  an  explanation 
of  my  conduct,  I  was  disgusted  with  all  works  of  the 
kind,  by  the  numerous  memoirs  or  notices  by  which 
so  many  persons  had  trespassed  upon  the  attention 

*  Although  this  notice,  written  a  short  time  before  the  18th 
Brumaire,  be  anterior  to  a  great  number  of  events,  in  the  midst 
of  which  General  Lafayette  continued  his  public  life,  we  have 
placed  it  in  this  part  of  the  work,  as  a  sort  of  general  introduc- 
tion to  the  various  materials  it  contains. 


IV  TO    THE    READER. 

of  the  public.  Events  had  also  spoken  for  us  ;  and 
many  accusers,  and  many  accusations,  had  fallen 
into  oblivion. 

As  soon  as  I  returned  to  France,  my  friends  re- 
quested me  to  write  memoirs :  I  found  excuses  for 
not  doing  so  in  my  reluctance  to  judge  with  severity 
the  first  jacobin  chiefs  who  have  shared  since  in  my 
proscription, — theGirondins,  who  have  died  for  those 
very  principles  they  had  opposed  and  persecuted  in 
me, — the  king  and  queen,  whose  lamentable  fate  only 
allows  me  to  pride  myself  upon  some  services  I  have 
rendered  them, — and  the  vanquished  royalists,  who 
are  at  present  deprived  of  fortune,  and  exposed  to 
every  arbitrary  measure.  I  ought  to  add,  likewise, 
that,  happy  in  my  retreat,  in  the  bosom  of  my  family, 
and  occupied  with  agricultural  pursuits,  I  know  not 
how  to  purloin  one  moment  from  the  enjoyments  of 
my  domestic  life. 

But  my  friends  have  renewed  their  request,  and, 
to  comply  in  some  degree  with  it,  I  have  consented 
to  place  in  order  the  few  papers  that  I  still  possess, 
assemble  together  some  relations  which  have  been 
already  published,  and  unite,  by  notes,  the  whole 
collection,  in  which  my  children  and  friends  may 
one  day  find  materials  for  a  less  insignificant  work. 

As  to  myself,  I  acknowledge  that  my  indolence 
in  this  respect  is  owing  to  the  intimate  conviction 
which  I  feel,  that  liberty  will  ultimately  be  estab- 
lished in  the  old  as  well  as  in  the  new  world,  and 
that  then  the  history  of  our  revolutions  will  put  all 
things  and  all  persons  in  their  proper  places. 


CONTENTS 

OF    THE    FIRST    VOLUME, 


AMERICAN  REVOLUTION. 

PAGE 

Notice  by  the  Editors                           -  i 

FIRST    VOYAGE    AND    FIRST    CAMPAIGN    IN    AMERICA 

1777,  1778. 
Memoirs  written  by  myself,  until  the  year  1780        -  1 

FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED    FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS  t 

A. — Departure  for  America  in  1777  69 
B.— First  Interview  between  General  Washington  and  General 

Lafayette  -  73 

C.— On  the  Military  commands  during  the  Winter  of  1778  74 

D-— Retreat  of  Barren  Hill  77 

E.— Arrival  of  the  French  Fleet  -  .  78 

F. — Dissensions  between  the  French  Fleet  and  the  American 

Army  ------  80 

CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778  : 

To  the  Duke  d'Ayen.    London,  March  9,  1777    - 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     On  board  the  Victory,  May  30  85 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     Charlestown,  June  19 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     Petersburg,  July  17 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     July  23  -  -        100 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     Philadelphia,  Sept.  12  -        101 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     Oct.  1    -  -         102 

To  M.  de  Vergennes,  Minister  of  Foreign  affairs.     Whitemarsh 

Camp,  Oct.  24  -        108 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     Whitemarsh  Camp,  Oct.  29,  and 

Nov.  6  -  -  113,  115 

To  General  Washington.     Haddonfield,  Nov.  2G  -        120 

To  the  Duke  d'Ayen.     Camp  Gulph,  Pennsylvania,  Dec.  16      -         123 
To  General  Washington.     Camp,  Dec.  30 
To  General  Washington.     Head  Quarters,  Dec.  31 
To  General  Washington.     Valley  Forge,  Dec.  31  -  -        141 


:  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.     Camp,  near  Valley  Forge,  Jan.  6, 

1778  -  142 

To  General  Washington  -  -  146 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  York,  Feb  3  -  '  150 

To  General  Washington.  Hermingtown,  Feb.  9  153 

To  General  Washington.  Albany,  Feb.  19  -  154 

To  General  Washington.  Feb.  23  -  -  158 

From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Head 

Quarters,  March  10  -  151 

To  Baron  de  Steuben.  Albany,  March  12  -  163 
Fragment  of  a  Letter  to  the  President  of  Congress.  Albany, 

March  20  -  -  163 

To  General  Washington.  Albany,  March  25  -  165 
To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  Valley  Forge  Camp,  in  Pennsylvania, 

April  14  -  -  167 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  Germantown,  April  28  -  169 

To  General  Washington.  Valley  Forge  Camp,  May  19  -  170 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Camp, 

May  17  -  171 

To  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  (Instructions.)  -  -  172 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  Valley  Forge  Camp,  June  16  -  374 

To  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  (Instructions.)  -  -  178 

To  General  Washington.  Ice  Town,  June  26  -  -  178 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Cranberry, 

June  26  -  -  180 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  White 

Plains,  July  22  -  181 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Head 

Quarters,  White  Plains,  July  27  -  -  182 

To  General  Washington.  Providence,  Aug.  6  -  183 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  White 

Plains,  Aug.  10  -  -  185 

To  General  Washington.  Camp  before  Newport,  Aug.  25  -  186 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  White 

Plains,  Sept.  .  .  .  195 
From  General  Washington  to  Major-General  Sullivan.  Head 

Quarters,  White  Plains,  Sept.  1  -  -  -  -  196 
From  General  Washington  to  Major-General  Greene.  Head 

Quarters,  White  Plains,  Sept.  1  -  -  197 

To  General  Washington.  Tyverton,  Sept,  1  -  -  199 

To  General  Washington.  Camp,  near  Bristol,  Sept.  7  -  203 

To  the  Duke  d'Ayen.  Bristol,  near  Rhode  Island,  Sept.  11  -  204 

To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  Bristol,  near  Rhode  Island,  Sept.  13,  214 
President  Laurens  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Philadelphia, 

Sept.  13       -                                             -           -           -  219 


CONTENTS.  XI 

PAGE 

Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  President  Laurens.  Camp,  Sept.  23  -  220 
To  General  Washington.  Warren,  Sept.  24  -  -  221 

From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Fre- 

dericksburg,  Sept.  25  -  223 

To  General  Washington.  Camp  near  Warren,  Sept  24  -  227 

To  General  Washington.  Boston,  Sept.  28  230 

From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Fishkill, 

Oct.  4  -  231 

Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  President  Laurens.  Philadelphia, 

Oct.  13  ^  233 

President  Laurens  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Philadelphia, 

Oct.  24  -  234 

To  General  Washington.  Philadelphia,  Oct.  24  -  236 

Lord  Carlisle  to  M.  de  Lafayette  -  -  237 

Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  President  Laurens.  Philadelphia, 

Oct26  -  -  2:18 

Fragment  of  a  Letter  from  the  French  Minister,M.  Gerard,  to 

Count  de  Vergennes.  October  -  -  239 

From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Phi- 
ladelphia, Dec.  29  -  -  240 
From  General  Washington  to  General  Franklin,  American 

Minister  in  France.  Philadelphia,  Dec.  28  -  241 

To  General  Washington.  Boston,  January  5,  1779  -  -  242 

To  General  Washington.  On  board  the  Alliance,  off  Boston, 

January  11,  1779  -        244 

SECOND    VOYAGE    TO    AMERICA,    AND    CAMPAIGNS    OP 
1780,     1781. 

HISTORICAL  MEMOIRS  OP  1779,  1780,  and  1781.       -       247 
CORRESPONDENCE — 1779 — 1781  : 

To  Count  de  Vergennes.  Paris,  February  24,  1779  -  -  277 

From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Camp 

at  Middlebrook,  March  8  -  278 

To  M.  de  Vergennes,  Paris,  April  1,  and  April  26  282,  284 

To  the  President  of  Congress.  St.  Jean  de  Angeli,  near  Rochefort, 

June  12  -  -  286 

To  General  Washington.  St.  Jean  de  Angeli,  near  Rochefort 

harbor,  June  12  -  290 

To  the  Count  de  Vergennes.  Havre,  July  30  -  -  -  296 

To  M.  de  Vergennes.  Paris,  August  —  -  -  -  -  299 

Dr.  Franklin  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Passy,  August  24  -  303 

To  Dr.  Franklin.  Havre,  August  29  -  303 


Xll  CONTENTS* 

PAGE 

From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.    West 

Point,  December  30  -  304 

To  General  Washington.  Havre,  October  7  -  -  310 

To  M.  de  Vergennes.  Versailles,  Feb.  22,  1780  -  314 

To  his  Excellency  General  Washington.  At  the  entrance  of  • 

Boston  hnrbor,  April  27  -  -  -  -  318 
To  M.  de  Vergennes.  Waterburg,  on  the  Boston  road,  from  the 

Camp,  May  6  -  -  318 

From  General  Washington.  Morris  Town,  May —  -  -  320 

To  the  Count  de  Rochambeau.  Philadelphia,  May  19  -  -  321 

To  General  Washington.  Camp  at  Preakness,  July  4  -  -  325 
To  MM.  le  Comte  de  Rochambeau  and  le  Chevalier  de  Terriay. 

Camp  before  Dobb's  Ferry,  August  9  328 
From  Count  de  Rochambeau  to  M.  de  Lafayette.  Newport, 

August  12  -  -  339 

To  MM.  de  Rochambeau  and  de  Ternay.  Camp,  August  18  -  341 

To  M.  de  Rochambeau.  Camp,  August  18  -  -  344 

From  M.  de  Rochambeau.  Newport,  August  27  -  347 
To  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne.  Robinson  House,  opposite  West 

Point,  Sept.  26  -  349 
To  Madame  de  Tesse.  Camp,  on  the  right  side  of  North  River, 

near  the  Island  of  New  York,  October  4  -  351 

To  General  Washington.  Light  Camp,  October  30  -  358 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Head 

Quarters,  October  36  -  302 

To  General  Washington.  Light  Camp,  November  13  •  -  363 

To  General  Washington,  Paramus,  November  28  -  365 

To  his  Excellency  General  Washington.  Philadelphia,  Dec.  5  -  367 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  New 

Windsor,  December  14  -  371 
To  M.  de  Vergennes.  New  Windsor,  on  the  North  River, 

January  30,  1781  -  ....  373. 
To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  New  Windsor,  on  the  North  River, 

February  2  -  383 

To  General  Washington.  Elk,  March  8  -  387 

Te  General  Washington.  On  board  the  Dolphin,  March  9  -  390 

To  General  Washington.  Williamsburg,  March  23  -  'm  391 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  New 

Windsor,  April  6  -  ...  395 

To  General  Washington.  Elk,  April  8  -  -  -  -  397 

To  Colonel  Hamilton.  Susquehannah  Ferry,  April  18  -  -  402 

To  General  Washington.  Baltimore,  April  18  -  -  403 

To  General  Washington.  Alexandria,  April  23  -  -  X  406 
From  General  Washington  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  New 

Windsor,  May  4     -            -            -            .            .            .  407 


CONTENTS.  X1I1 

PAGE 

From  General  Washington  to  Lund  Washington.     New  Windsor, 

April  30  -  409 
To  General  Washingion.  Camp  Wilton,  on  James  River, 

May  17  -  -  -  410 
From  General  Phillips  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  British 

Camp  at  Osborn,  April  28  -  412 
From  General  Phillips  to  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Camp  at 

Osborn,  April  29,  -  -  413 

To  Major  General  Phillips.  American  Camp,  April  30  -  -  413 

To  Major-General  Phillips.  May  3  -  415 

Note  for  Captain  Emyne.  May  15  -  -  415 

Note  from  General  Arnold  to  Captain  Ragedale  -  -  415 

To  General  Washington.  Richmond,  May  24  -  -  416 

To  General  Washington.  Camp,  June  28  -  418 

Extracts  of  severa  Letters  to  General  Washington  -  -  420 
To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  Camp,  between  the  branches  of 

York  River,  August  24  -  -  430 
To  M.  de  Vergennes.  Camp  between  the  branches  of  York 

River,  August  24  -  -  433 
To  M  de  Maurepas.  Camp,  between  the  branches  of  York 

River,  August  24  -  -  434 

To  General  Washington.  Holt's  Forge,  September  1  -  -  435 

To  General  Washington.  Williamsburg,  September  8  -  -  440 

To  General  Washington.  Camp  before  York,  Octobei  16  -  443 

To  M.  de  Maurepas.  Camp  near  York,  October  20  -  -  444 

To  M.  de  Vergennes.  Camp  near  York,  October  20  -  -  445 
To  Madame  de  Lafayette.  On  board  La  Ville  de  Paris,  in 

Chesapeake  Bay,  October  22  -  -  445 

The  Marquis  de  Segur  to  M.  de  Lafayette.  Dec.  5  -  447 

To  General  Washington.  Alliance,  off  Boston,  December  21  -  448 

ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

To  General  Washington.     Robins'  Tavern,  June  26,  1778  -  451 

To  General  Washington.     Cranbarry  June  —    -             -  -  452 

To  General  Washington.    June  28              -  -  453 

To  General  Washington.     Cranbarry,  June  29    -             -  -  454 

To  the  Count  de  Vergennes.     St.  Jean  de  Angeli,  June,  1779  -  455 

To  the  Count  de  Vergennes.     Havre,  July  9  -  455 

To  the  President  of  Congress.     Havre,  October  7  -  456 

To  General  Washington      Peekskill,  July  20,  1780        -  -  459 

To  General  Washington.     Danbury,  July  2  L       -  -  461 

To  General  Washington.     Hartford,  July  22       -  -  462 

To  General  Washington.     Lebanon,  July  23      -  -  464 


XIV 

To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  Major-General  Greene. 


CONTENTS. 

Newport,  July  26       - 
Newport,  July  26 
Newport,  July  29 
Newport,  July  31 
Newport;  August  1    - 
Elizabethtown,  October  27    - 
Light  Camp,  October  27 
Philadelphia,  December  4 

December  5       - 

Philadelphia,  December  16    - 
Philadelphia,  March  2,  1781 
Head  of  Elk,  March  7 
Off  Turkey  Point,  March  9  - 
York,  March  15 
Elk,  April  10 

Susquehannah  Ferry,  April  13 
Snsquehannah  Ferry,  April  13 
Susquehannah  Ferry,  April  14 
Hanover  Court  House,  April  28 


To  General  Greene.     Camp  on  Pamunkey  River,  May  3 

To  General  Washington.     Camp  near  Bottom's  Creek,  May  4 

To  General  Washing!  n.     Richmond.  May  8 

To  General  Washington.     Welton,  north  side  of  James  River 

May  18       - 

To  Colonel  Hamilton.     Richmond  May  23 
To  General  Washington.     Richmond,  May  24     - 
1  o  General  Washington.     Camp  between  Rappanannock  and 

North  Anna,  June  3  - 

To  General  Greene.     Camp  between  Rappahannock  and  North 

Anna,  June  3  - 

To  General  Greene. 
To  General  Greene. 
To  General  Greene. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 


Allen's  Creek,  June  18      - 
Mr.  Tyler's  Plantation,  June  27   - 
Ambler's  Plantation,  July  8 
Mrs.  Ruffin's,  August  29 
Holt's  Forge,  September  1     - 
Camp  Williamsburg,  September  8 
W  illiamsburg,  >  eptember  10 


To  General  Washington. 
To  General  Washington. 


Camp  before  York,  Sept.  30 
November  29  - 


PAGE 

466 

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470 
475 

479 
481 
482 
485 
487 
488 
483 
494 
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497 
499 
503 
504 
503 
506 
507 
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511 

512 
515 
517 

519 

520 
522 
524 
525 
527 
528 
529 
530 
531 
533 


APPENDIX. 


I.— A  Summary  of  the  Campaign  of  1781,  explanatory  of  the  Map          535 
II.— Letter  from  M.  de  Lafayette  to  M.  de  Vergennea  -  -        540 


ERRATA. 


Page  i,  Iin3  1,  (note,) /or  Yois  read  Yves. 

—  iii,  —  1,  (note,)  for  before  read  after. 

—  3,  —  7,  for  to  read  of. 

—  4,  —  G,  for  an  read  a. 

—  10,  —  15,  for  home  read  house. 

—  16,  —  11,  for  an  read  a. 

—  22,  —  11,  for  hardly  read  scarcely. 

—  23,  —  31,  for  his  read  their. 

—  '25,  —  '23,  for  his  read  their. 

—  29,  —  24,  for  was  read  were. 

—  35,  —  19,  for  neither  read  no  ;  for  nor 

read  or. 

—  38,  — 5,/or  himself  read  himself  such 

pretensions. 

—  43,  —  35,  for  was  read  were. 

—  46,  —  33,  for  an  read  a. 

—  55,  —  35,  for  Connecticut  read  Cannani- 

cut. 

—  64,  —  18,  for  months  read  weeks. 

—  67,  —  19,  for  horrors  read  honors. 

—  80,  —  30,  for  Connecticut  read  Cannani- 

cut. 

—  86,  —  22,  for  it  and  I  read  we. 

—  91,  —  21,  for  have  forbidden  some  days 

since  read  I  forbad  some  days 
ago. 

—  92,  —  17,  for  was  read  were. 
— 101, —    6,  for  an  read  a. 
—104,  —  28,  for  an  read  a. 

— 106,  —  34,  for  and  very  read  and  a  very. 
— 115,  —    4.  for  you  read  I. 
—131,  —  26,  for  hope  read  trust. 
—152,  —    2,  for  inform  read  rejoin. 
— 152,  —   5,/or  an  read  a. 


Page  208,  line  9,  for  no  read  us. 

—  217,  —  28,  for  heart,  I  admire  read  heart 

I  admire. 

—  247,  —    6,  for  tie  read  connecting  link. 

—  257,  —  30,  for  endeavored  from  circum- 

stances, &c.  read  endeavored 
to  draw  the  slightest  pecuniary 
advantage  from  circumstances. 

—  263,  —  12,  for  who  read  which. 

—  265,  —  13, /or  every  person  was  read  all 

were. 

—  285,  —  27,  for  has  read  offer. 

—  297,  —  20,  for  The  latter  reasoning,  &c., 

read  The  reasoning  of  the  lat- 
ter does  not  bring  me  over  to. 

—  299,  —  12,  for  was  read  were. 

—  299,  —  15,  for    this  sacrifice    read  than 

would  be  to  me  the  sacrifice. 

—  323,  —  13,  for  there  read  it. 

—  346,  —    2,  for  Frenchman  read  French- 

men. 

—  347,  —    5,  for  formed  read  form. 

—  348.  —  27,  for  either  read  one. 

—  351,  —  22,  for  Sesse  read  Tesse. 

—  352,  —  10,  for  monstrous  read  monoto- 

nous. 

—  378,  —  10,  for  neither  pay,  clothes,  nor 

read  no  pay  clothes,  or. 

—  378,  —  28,  for  notion  read  opinion. 

—  381,  —    6,  for  of  r tad  wilh. 

—  :  85,  —  13,  for  come  read  came. 

—  434,  —  12,  for  the  read  its. 

—  439,  —  (note)  for  Jefferson  read  Nelson. 


FIRST   VOYAGE 

AMD 

FIRST    CAMPAIGN    IN    AMERICA, 

]  777—1 778. 


MEMOIRS  WRITTEN  BY  MYSELF,* 

UNTIL    THE    YEAR  1780. 


TO    MY    FRIENDS. 

IF  I  were  to  confound,  as  is  too  often  done,  obsti- 
nacy with  firmness,  I  should  blush  at  beginning 
these  memoirs,  after  having  so  long  refused  to  do 
so,  and  at  even  increasing  their  apparent  egotism 
by  my  style,  instead  of  sheltering  myself  under 
cover  of  the  third  person ;  but  I  will  not  yield  a 
half  compliance  to  the  request  of  that  tender  friend- 
ship which  is  far  more  valuable  to  me  than  the 
ephemeral  success  which  a  journal  might  obtain. 
It  is  sufficient  for  me  to  know  that  this  relation, 
intended  for  a  few  friends  only,  will  never  extend 
beyond  their  circle:  it  even  possesses  two  very 

*  Note  by  M.  de  Lafayette  upon  the  Memoirs  written  ~by  him- 
self and  his  American  correspondence. — Many  papers  relating  to 
the  first  years  of  my  public  life  have  been  destroyed  during  the 
reign  of  terror.  An  imperfect  copy  of  these  memoirs  has  been 
saved :  this  ought  to  have  been  re-written ;  I  have  preferred 
copying  it  precisely  as  it  was  originally  composed. 

Several  letters  written  from  America  had  been  copied  by  my 
wife  for  Dr.  Dubrucil,  (physician  to  the  king  and  to  la  Charite, 
at  St.  Germain-en-laza,  deceased  1785,)  whose  friendship  was 


2  MEMOIRS    OF  MYSELF 

great  advantages  over  many  celebrated  books  ; 
these  are,  that  the  public  not  being  concerned  in 
this  work  it  cannot  need  a  preface,  and  that  the 
dedication  of  affection  cannot  require  an  epistle. 

It  would  be  too  poetical  to  place  myself  at  once 
in  another  hemisphere,  and  too  minute  to  dwell 
upon  the  particulars  of  my  birth,  which  soon  fol- 
lowed the  death  of  my  father  at  Minden  ;*  of  my 
education  in  Auvergne,  with  tender  and  revered 
relations  ;  of  my  removal,  at  twelve  years  of  age, 
to  a  college  at  Paris, f  where  I  soon  lost  my  virtu- 
ous mother,J  and  where  the  death  of  her  father 
rendered  me  rich,  although  I  had  been  born,  com- 
paratively speaking,  poor ;  of  some  schoolboy  suc- 
cesses, inspired  by  the  love  of  glory  and  some- 
what disturbed  by  that  of  liberty  ;  of  my  entrance 
into  the  regiment  of  the  black  musketeers,  which 


the  pride  of  one  portion  of  my  life,  and  who  has  filled  the  re- 
mainder of  it  with  a  deep  and  tender  recollection.  Those 
papers  have  been  preserved ;  it  would  be  necessary  to  suppress 
some  repetitions  and  insignificant  details,  but  I  have  left  them 
almost  all  untouched,  because,  whilst  forming  this  collection,  I 
felt  pleasure  in  recalling  the  sentiments  that  had  animated  me 
at  various  periods  of  my  existence. 

The  Duke  d'Ayen,  my  father-in-law,  was  not  one  of  the 
least  hasty  and  severe  censurers  of  my  departure  for  America, 
but  he  restored  to  me  his  favour  with  all  the  kindness  and  sin- 
cerity which  characterized  him  :  his  affectionate  congratulations 
deeply  touched  my  heart.  The  same  feeling  induces  me  at  the 
present  moment  to  repeat  some  details  contained  in  the  letters 
I  addressed  to  him. 

*  Michel-Louis-Christophe-Roch-Gilbert  de  Motier,  Marquis 
de  Lafayette,  colonel  of  the  grenadiers  of  France,  Chevalier  de 
St.  Louis,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Minden  before  the  age  of 
twenty-five. 

f   The  college  du  Plessis. 

j  Marie-Louise-Julie  de  la  Riviere,  died  at  Paris  the  12th 
of  April,  1770,  some  days  before  her  father  Joseph- Yves-Thi- 
bauld-Hyacinthe,  Marquis  de  la  Riviere. 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  3 

only  interrupted  my  studies  on  review  days  ;  and 
finally,  of  my  marriage,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  pre- 
ceded by  a  residence  at  the  academy  of  Versailles.  s 
I  have  still  less  to  say  relating  to  my  entrance  into 
the  world  ;  to  the  short  favour  I  enjoyed  as  con- 
stituting one  member  of  a  youthful  society.;  to 
some  promises  to  the  regiment  de  Noailles  ;  and  to 
the  unfavourable  opinion  entertained  of  me  owing 
to  my  habitual  silence  when  I  did  not  think  the 
subjects  discussing  worthy  of  being  canvassed. 
The  bad  effects  produced  by  disguised  self-love  and 
an  observing  disposition,  were  not  softened  by  a 
natural  simplicity  of  manner,  which,  without  being 
improper  on  any  great  occasion,  rendered  it  im- 
possible for  me  to  bend  to  the  graces  of  the  court, 
or  to  the  charms  of  a  supper  in  the  capital. 

You  ask  me  at  what  period  I  first  experienced 

*  Previous  to  the  marriage  of  M.  de  Lafayette,  we  have  only 
one  letter  written  by  him  at  fourteen  years  of  age,  the  8th  of 
February,  1772,  which  will  be  read  perhaps  with  some  curiosity. 
It  is  addressed  to  his  cousin,  Mademoiselle  de  Chavaniac. 

"  I  have  just  received,  my  dear  cousin,  your  letter,  and  the 
good  account  you  give  me  of  my  grandmother's  health.  After 
that,  which  was  what  first  touched  my  heart,  I  was  much  in- 
terested by  the  account  of  the  hunt  of  the  proprietor  of  the 
forests  of  Lata.  I  should  like  very  much  to  know  whether 
those  dogs  that  neither  walk  nor  bark  contributed  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  expedition  ?  The  details  of  that  hunt  would  have 
amused  me  very  much  ;  if  I  had  been  speaking  to  you  of  a  new- 
fashioned  cap,  I  should  have  thought  it  my  duty  to  have  describ- 
ed to  you  its  figure  and  proportions,  with  a  compass  in  my  hand. 

"  Our  cousin's  marriage  is  broken  off ;  there  is  another  one 
on  the  carpet,  but  they  are  obliged  to  lower  their  tone  exceed- 
ingly. Mademoiselle  de  Roncherolles,  a  place  with  Madame  de 
Bourbon,  of  a  thousand  crowns  a-year,  and  five  thousand  small 
livres  a-year — that  is  the  whole  amount.  You  see  that  this 
is  a  very  short  abridgment  of  the  other  intended  matches.  My 
uncle,  who  came  to  see  me  the  other  day,  consents  to  the  mar- 
riage, on  condition  that  the  Prince  de  Conde  will  promise  OU.Q 

B    2 


4  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

(  my  ardent  love  of  liberty  and  glory  ?  I  recollect  no 

I  time  of  my  life  anterior  to  my  enthusiasm  for  anec- 

)  dotes  of  glorious  deeds,  and  to  my  projects  of  tra- 

\  veiling  over  the  world  to  acquire  fame.     At  eight 

years  of  age,  my  heart  beat  when  I  heard  of  an 

hyaena  that  had  done  some  injury,  and  caused  still 

/  more  alarm,  in  our  neighbourhood,  and  the  hope  of 

[    meeting  it  was  the  object  of  all  my  walks.     When 

I/  I  arrived  at  college,  nothing  ever  interrupted  my 

il  studies,  except  my  ardent  wish  of  studying  with- 

lout  restraint.     I  never  deserved  to  be  chastised ; 

H)ut,  in  spite  of  my  usual  gentleness,  it  would  have 

been  dangerous  to  have  attempted  to  do  so  ;  and  I 

recollect  with  pleasure  that,  when  I  was  to  describe 

in  rhetoric  a  perfect  courser,  I  sacrificed  the  hope  of 

obtaining  a  premium,  and  described  the  one  who,  on 

perceiving  the  whip,  threw  down  his  rider.  Repub- 

of  his  regiments  of  cavalry  to  the  cousin.  Madame  de  Mont- 
boissier  thinks  this  is  asking  too  much,  and  told  M.  le  Marquis 
de  Canillic  that,  in  truth,  if  he  were  so  difficult,  her  husband 
would  no  longer  take  any  part  in  his  affairs ;  this  offended  him, 
and  some  high  words  passed  on  both  sides.  The  nephew  does 
not  care  much  about  the  marriage.  He  said,  there  were  in  his 
own  province  far  better  matches,  which  he  named,  that  would 
not  be  refused  him. 

"  I  thought  I  had  written  you  word  that  the  Cardinal  de  La 
Roche- Aimon  was  abbe  de  St.  Germain.  It  is  said  that  M.  de 
Briges  has  the  barony  de  Mercceur.  M.  de  la  Vauguyon  has 
died,  little  regretted  either  by  the  court  or  by  the  town.  The 
ball  of  last  Thursday  is  put  off  to  the  15th,  that  is  to  say,  for  a 
week  hence.  I  dined,  the  day  before  yesterday,  Thursday,  with 
M.  de  la  Tour  d'Auvergne,  who  is  on  a  complimentary  footing 
with  M.  de  Turenne,  now  Duke  de  Bouillon.  He  told  us  he 
should  lose  perhaps  a  million  from  politeness.  You  will  re- 
cognise him  by  that  phrase. 

"  Adieu,  dear  cousin ;  my  respects,  if  you  please,  to  all  the 
family  ;  M.  de  Fayon  presents  his  to  you,  and  I  remain  your 
obedient  servant, 

"  LAFAYETTE." 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  5 

lican  anecdotes  always  delighted  me,  and  when  my 
new  connexions  wished  to  obtain  for  me  a  place  at 
court,  I  did  not  hesitate  displeasing  them  to  pre- 
serve my  independence.*  I  was  in  that  frame  of 
mind  when  I  first  learnt  the  troubles  in  America ; 
they  only  became  thoroughly,  known  in  Europe  in 
1776,  and  the  memorable  declaration  of  the  4th  of 
July  reached  France  at  the  close  of  that  same  year. 

After  having  crowned  herself  with  laurels  and"" 
enriched  herself  with  conquests  ;  after  having  be- 
come mistress  of  all  seas  ;  and  after  having  in- 
sulted all  nations,  England  had  turned  her  prid 
against  her  own  colonies.  North  America  ha 
long  been  displeasing  to  her ;  she  wished  to  add 
new  vexations  to  former  injuries,  and  to  destroy 
the  most  sacred  privileges.  The  Americans,  at- 
tached to  the  mother  country,  contented  them- 
selves at  first  with  merely  uttering  complaints ;  they 
only  accused  the  ministry,  and  the  whole  nation 
rose  up  against  them  ;  they  were  termed  insolent 
and  rebellious,  and  at  length  declared  the  enemies 
of  their  country :  thus  did  the  obstinacy  of  the 
king,  the  violence  of  the  ministers,  and  the  arro- 
gance of  the  English  nation,  oblige  thirteen  of 
their  colonies  to  render  themselves  independent. 
Such  a  glorious  cause  had  never  before  attracted^ 
the  attention  of  mankind ;  it  was  the  last  struggle 
of  Liberty ;  and  had  she  then  been  vanquished, 

neither  hope  nor  asylum  would  have  remained  for 

_~— ^ 

*  A  place  in  the  household  of  a  prince  of  royal  blood.  The 
Marshal  de  Noailles  wished  for  this  arrangement.  To  prevent 
it  without  openly  opposing  the  will  of  those  he  loved,  M.  de 
Lafayette  took  an  opportunity  of  displeasing,  by  a  few  words, 
the  prince,  to  whose  person  they  were  desirous  of  attaching 
him,  and  all  negotiations  on  the  subject  were  thus  broken  off. 
We  do  not  believe  that  since  that  period  a  reconciliation  has 
ever  taken  place  between  him  and  Louis  XVIII. 


6  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

her.  The  oppressors  and  oppressed  were  to  re- 
ceive a  powerful  lesson  ;  the  great  work  was  to 
be  accomplished,  or  the  rights  of  humanity  were 
to  fall  beneath  its  ruin.  The  destiny  of  France  and 
that  of  her  rival  were  to  be  decided  at  the  same 
moment ;  England  was  to  lose,  with  the  new 
states,  an  important  commerce,  of  which  she  de- 
rived the  sole  advantage, — one  quarter  of  her  sub- 
jects, who  were  constantly  augmenting  by  a  rapid 
increase  of  population,  and  by  emigration  from  all 
parts  of  Europe, — in  a  word,  more  than  half  of  the 
most  beautiful  portion  of  the  British  territory. 
But  if  she  retained  possession  of  her  thirteen  colo- 
nies, all  was  ended  for  our  West  Indies,  our  pos- 
sessions in  Asia  and  Africa,  our  maritime  com- 
merce, and  consequently  our  navy  and  our  poli- 
tical existence. 

(1776.)  When  I  first  learnt  the  subject  of  this 
quarrel,  my  heart  espoused  warmly  the  cause  of 
liberty,  and  I  thought  of  nothing  but  of  adding 
also  the  aid  of  my  banner.  *  Some  circum- 


*  In  1828,  Mr.  Jared  Sparks,  a  distinguished  American  au- 
thor, intending  to  form  a  collection  of  the  writings  of  Washing- 
ton, which  he  is  at  present  publishing  at  Boston,  made  a  voyage 
to  France  to  converse  with  M.  de  Lafayette,  and  consult  the 
archives  of  foreign  affairs.  He  obtained  from  the  general  many 
anecdotes,  letters,  and  documents,  of  which  extracts  have  en- 
riched his  publication.  At  the  close  of  vol.  v.,  he  has  placed 
an  appendix,  containing  the  account  of  the  departure  of  M.  de 
Lafayette  from  France,  and  his  arrival  in  America.  We  doubt 
not  but  that  the  details  of  that  narration  were  related,  nay,  per- 
haps even  written,  by  the  general  himself.  We  shall  therefore 
quote  some  extracts  from  it  without  hesitation,  which,  placed  as 
notes,  will  completely  elucidate  the  text  of  these  memoirs. 

"  In  the  summer  of  1776,"  says  Mr.  Sparks,  "  M.  de  La- 
fayette was  stationed  on  military  duty  at  Metz,  being  then  an 
officer  in  the  French  army.  It  happened  at  this  time  that  the 
Duke  of  Gloucester,  brother  to  the  King  of  England,  was  at 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  7 

stances,  which  it  would  be  needless  to  relate,  had 
taught  me  to  expect  only  obstacles  in  this  case 
from  my  own  family ;  I  depended,  therefore,  solely 
upon  myself,  and  I  ventured  to  adopt  for  a  device 
on  my  arms  these  words — "Curnon?"  that  they 
might  equally  serve  as  an  encouragement  to  my- 
self, and  as  a  reply  to  others.  Silas  Deane  was 
then  at  Paris  ;  but  the  ministers  feared  to  receive 
him,  and  his  voice  was  overpowered  by  the  louder 
accents  of  Lord  Stormont.  He  despatched  pri- 
vately to  America  some  old  arms,  which  were  of 
little  use,  and  some  young  officers,  who  did  but 
little  good,  the  whole  directed  by  M.  de  Beaumar- 
chais  ;  and  when  the  English  ambassador  spoke  to 
our  court,  it  denied  having  sent  any  cargoes,  or- 
dered those  that  were  preparing  to  be  discharged, 
and  dismissed  from  our  ports  all  American  pri- 
vateers. Whilst  wishing  to  address  myself  in  a 
direct  manner  to  Mr.  Deane,  I  became  the  friend  of 


Metz,  and  a  dinner  was  given  to  him  by  the  commandant  of  that 
place.  Several  officers  were  invited,  and  among  others  La- 
fayette. Despatches  had  just  been  received  by  the  duke  from 
England,  and  he  made  their  contents  the  topic  of  conversation ; 
they  related  to  American  affairs,  the  recent  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence, the  resistance  of  the  colonists,  and  the  strong  mea- 
sures adopted  by  the  ministry  to  crush  the  rebellion. 

"  The  details  were  new  to  Lafayette  ;  he  listened  with  eager- 
ness to  the  conversation,  and  prolonged  it  by  asking  questions 
of  the  duke.  His  curiosity  was  deeply  excited  by  what  he  heard, 
and  the  idea  of  a  people  lighting  for  liberty  had  a  strong  in- 
fluence upon  his  imagination  ;  the  cause  seemed  to  him  just  and 
noble,  from  the  representations  of  the  duke  himself;  and  before 
he  left  the  table,  the  thought  came  into  his  head  that  he  would 
go  to  America,  and  offer  his  services  to  a  people  who  were 
struggling  for  freedom  and  independence.  From  that  hour  he 
could  think  of  nothing  but  this  chivalrous  enterprise.  He  re- 
solved to  return  to  Paris  and  make  further  inquiries. 

"  When  he  arrived  in  that  city,  he  confided  his  scheme  to  two 


8  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

Kalb,  a  German  in  our  employ,  who  was  applying 
for  service  with  the  insurgents,  (the  expression  in 
use  at  that  time,)  and  who  became  my  interpreter. 
He  was  the  person  sent  by  M.  de  Choiseul  to  ex- 
amine the  English  colonies ;  and  on  his  return  he 
received  some  money,  but  never  succeeded  in  ob- 
taining an  audience,  so  little  did  that  minister  in 
reality  think  of  the  revolution  whose  retrograde 
movements  some  persons  have  inscribed  to  him  ! 
When  I  presented  to  Mr.  Deane  my  boyish  face, 
(for  I  was  scarcely  nineteen  years  of  age,)  I  spoke 
more  of  my  ardour  in  the  cause  than  of  my  expe- 
rience ;  bu£X4^eitjnuch,upon».Jth.e  effect  my  de- 
parture 3rjiilld_excite  in  Frangg,  and  he  signed  our 
mtftuaT  agreement.  "Trie  secrecy  with  which  this 
negotiation  and  my  preparations  were  made  ap- 
pears almost  a  miracle  ;  family,  friends,  ministers, 
French  spies  and  English  spies,  all  were  kept  com- 
pletely in  the  dark  as  to  my  intentions.  Amongst 


young  friends,  Count  Segur  and  Viscount  de  Noailles,  and  pro- 
posed that  they  should  join  him.  They  entered  with  enthu- 
siasm into  his  views ;  but  as  they  were  dependent  on  their 
families,  it  was  necessary  to  consult  their  parents,  who  repro- 
bated the  plan  and  refused  their  consent.  The  young  men 
faithfully  kept  Lafayette's  secret :  his  situation  was  more  fortu- 
nate, as  his  property  was  at  his  own  disposal,  and  he  possessed 
an  annual  revenue  of  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  livres. 

"  He  next  explained  his  intentions  to  the  Count  de  Broglie, 
who  told  him  that  his  project  was  so  chimerical,  and  fraught 
with  so  many  hazards,  without  a  prospect  of  the  least  advan- 
tage, that  he  could  not  for  a  moment  regard  it  with  favor,  nor 
encourage  him  with  any  advice  which  should  prevent  him  from 
abandoning  it  immediately.  When  Lafayette  found  him  thus 
determined,  he  requested  that  at  least  he  would  not  betray  him, 
for  he  was  resolved  to  go  to  America.  The  Count  de  Broglie 
assured  him  that  his  confidence  was  not  misplaced  ;  '  But,'  said 
he,  *  I  have  seen  your  uncle  die  in  the  wars  of  Italy ;  I  wit- 
nessed your  father's  death  at  the  battle  of  Minden ;  and  I  will 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  9 

my  discreet  confidants,  I  owe  much  to  M.  du  Bois- 
martin,*  secretary  o£  the  Count  de  Broglie,  and  to 
the  Count  de  Broglie  himself,  whose  affectionate 
heart,  when  all  his  efforts  to  turn  me  from  this 
project  had  proved  in  vain,  entered  into  my  views 
with  even  paternal  tenderness. 

Preparations  were  making  to  send  a  vessel  to 
America,  when  very  bad  tidings  arrived  from 
thence.  New  York,  Long  Island,  White  Plains, 
Fort  Washington,  and  the  Jerseys,  had  seen  the 
American  forces  successively  destroyed  by  thirty- 
three  thousand  Englishmen  or  Germans.  Three 
thousand  Americans  alone  remained  in  arms,  and 
these  were  closely  pursued  by  General  Howe. 
From  that  moment  all  the  credit  of  the  insurgents 
vanished ;  to  obtain  a  vessel  for  them  was  impos- 
sible :  the  envoys  themselves  thought  it  right  to 
express  to  me  their  own  discouragement,  and  per- 
suade me  to  abandon  my  project.  I  called  upon 
Mr.  Deane,  and  I  thanked  him  for  his  frankness. 
"  Until  now,  sir,"  said  I,  "  you  have  only  seen  my 
ardour  in  your  cause,  and  that  may  not  prove  at 
present  wholly  useless.  I  shall  purchase  a  ship  to 
carry  out  your  officers ;  we  must  feel  confidence 
in  the  future,  and  it  is  especially  in  the  hour  of 


not  be  accessary  to  the  ruin  of  the  only  remaining  branch  of 
the  family.'  He  then  used  all  his  powers  of  argument  and 
persuasion  to  divert  Lafayette  from  his  purpose,  but  in  vain. 
Finding  his  determination  unalterable,  the  Count  de  Broglie 
said,  as  he  could  render  him  no  aid,  he  would  introduce  him  to 
the  Baron  de  Kalb,  who  he  knew  was  seeking  an  opportunity 
to  go  to  America,  and  whose  experience  and  counsels  might  be 
valuable. — (The  Writings  of  George  Washington,  vol.  v.  Ap- 
pendix, No.  1,  p.  445.) 

*  M.  du  Boismartin  was  the  person  sent  to  Bourdeaux  to  se- 
cure the  purchase  and  equipment  of  the  ship  that  M.  de  La- 
fayette intended  for  the  United  States. — (Sparks,  loc.  cit.) 


10  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

danger  that  I  wish  to  share  your  fortune."*  My 
project  was  received  with  approbation  ;  but  it  was 
necessary  afterwards  to  find  money,  and  to  pur- 
chase and  arm  a  vessel  secretly :  all  this  was  ac- 
complished with  the  greatest  despatch. 

The  period  was,  however,  approaching,  which  had 
been  long  fixed  for  my  taking  a  journey  to  Eng- 
land;! I  could  not  refuse  to  go  without  risking  the 
discovery  of  my  secret,  and  by  consenting  to  take 
this  journey  I  knew  I  could  better  conceal  my  pre- 
parations for  a  greater  one.  This  last  measure  was 
also  thought  most  expedient  by  MM.  Franklin 
and  Deane ;  for  the  doctor  himself  was  then  in 
France  ;  and  although  I  did  not  venture  to  go  to 
his  home,  for  fear  of  being  seen,  I  corresponded 
with  him  through  M.  Carmichael,  an  American  less 
generally  known.  I  arrived  in  London  with  M.  de 
Poix ;  and  I  first  paid  my  respects  to  Bancroft,  the 
American,  and  afterwards  to  his  British  Majesty. 
A  youth  of  nineteen  may  be,  perhaps,  too  fond  of 
playing  a  trick  upon  the  king  he  is  going  to  fight 
with, — of  dancing  at  the  house  of  Lord  Germain, 
minister  for  the  English  colonies,  and  at  the  house 
of  Lord  Rawdon,  who  had  just  returned  from  New 
York, — and  of  seeing  at  the  opera  that  Clinton 
whom  he  was  afterwards  to  meet  at  Monmouth. 
But  whilst  I  concealed  my  intentions,  I  openly 

*  It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that,  at  the  same  time  that 
General  Washington,  who  had  never  left  America,  reduced  to  a 
corps  of  two  thousand  men,  did  not  despair  of  the  common 
cause,  the  same  sentiment  was  animating,  two  thousand  leagues 
from  thence,  the  breast  of  a  youth  of  nineteen,  who  was  des- 
tined to  become  one  day  his  intimate  friend,  partake  with  him 
the  vicissitudes  and  happy  termination  of  that  revolution,  and 
afterwards  carry  back  to  another  hemisphere  the  principles  of 
liberty  and  equality  which  formed  its  basis, 
t  With  the  Prince  de  Poix.  This  journey  lasted  three  weeks. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  11 

avowed  my  sentiments  ;  I  often  defended  the  Ame- 
ricans ;  I  rejoiced  at  their  success  at  Trenton  ;  and 
my  spirit  of  opposition  obtained  for  me  an  invita- 
tion to  breakfast  with  Lord  Shelbourne.  I  refused 
the  offers  made  me  to  visit  the  sea  ports,  the  vessels 
fitting  out  against  the  rebels,  and  everything  that 
might  be  construed  into  an  abuse  of  confidence. 
At  the  end  of  three  weeks,  when  it  became  neces- 
sary for  me  to  return  home,  whilst  refusing  my 
uncle,*  the  ambassador,  to  accompany  him  to 
court,  I  confided  to  him  my  strong  desire  to  take  a 
trip  to  Paris.  He  proposed  saying  that  I  was  ill 
during  my  absence.  I  should  not  have  made  use 
of  this  stratagem  myself,  but  I  did  not  object  to 
his  doing  so. 

After  having  suffered  drea.dfully  in  the  channel, 
and  being  reminded,  as  a  consolation,  how  very 
short  the  voyage  would  be,  I  arrived  at  M.  de 
Kalb's  house  in  Paris,  concealed  myself  three  days 
at  Chaillot,  saw  a  few  of  my  friends  and  some 
Americans,  and  set  out  for  Bordeaux,  where  I  was 
for  some  time  unexpectedly  delayed. f  I  took  ad- 
vantage of  that  delay  to  send  to  Paris,  from  whence 
the  intelligence  I  received  was  by  no  means  encou- 
raging ;  but  as  my  messenger  was  followed  on  his 

*  The  Marquis  de  Noailles,  brother  to  the  Duke  d'Aven,  and 
uncle  to  Madame  de  Lafayette. 

fM.de  Lafayette  learnt,  at  Bordeaux,  that  his  intended  de- 
parture was  known  at  Versailles,  and  that  the  order  to  prevent 
it  had  been  already  issued.  After  having  taken  his  ship  to  the 
port  of  the  Passage,  he  returned  himself  to  Bordeaux,  and  wrote 
to  the  ministers,  to  his  family  and  friends.  Amongst  the  latter 
was  M.  de  Coigny,  to  whom  he  sent  a  confidential  person,  and 
who  bade  him  entertain  no  hopes  of  obtaining  the  permission 
he  wished  for.  Pretending  to  repair  to  Marseilles,  where  he 
had  received  an  order  to  join  his  father-in-law,  who  was  going 
into  Italy,  he  set  off  in  a  postchaise  with  an  officer  named 
Mauroy,  who  was  desirous  of  going  to  America.  Some  leagues 


12  MEMOIRS    OP    MYSELF 

road  by  one  from  the  government,  I  lost  not  a 
moment  in  setting  sail,  and  the  orders  of  my  sove- 
reign were  only  able  to  overtake  me  at  Passage,  a 
Spanish  port,  at  which  we  stopped  on  our  way. 
The  letters  from  my  own  family  were  extremely 
violent,    and   those   from    the    government   were 
peremptory.     I  was  forbidden  to  proceed  to  the 
American  continent  under  the  penalty  of  disobe- 
dience ;  I  was  enjoined  to  repair  instantly  to  Mar- 
seilles, and  await  there  further  orders.   A  sufficient 
number  of  commentaries  were  not  wanting  upon 
the  consequences  of  such  an  anathema,  the  laws  of 
the  state,  and  the  power  and  displeasure  of  the 
government :  but  the  grief  of  his  wife,  who  was 
pregnant,    and   the   thoughts   of  his   family  and 
friends,  had  far  more  effect  upon  M.  de  Lafayette.* 
As  his  vessel  could  no  longer  be  stopped,  he  re- 
turned to  Bordeaux  to  enter  into  a  justification  of 
his  own  conduct ;  and,  in  a  declaration  to  M.  de 
Fumel,  he  took  upon  himself  all  the  consequences 
of  his  present  evasion.    As  the  court  did  not  deign 
to  relax  in  its  determination,  he  wrote  to  M.  de 
Maurepas  that  that  silence  was  a  tacit  consent,  and 
his  own  departure  took  place  soon  after  that  joking 

from  Bordeaux  he  got  on  horseback,  disguised  as  a  courier,  and 
rode  on  before  the  carriage,  which  took  the  road  to  Bayonne. 
They  remained  two  or  three  hours  in  that  town,  and  whilst 
Mauroy  was  arranging  some  necessary  affairs,  M.  de  Lafayette 
remained  lying  on  some  straw  in  the  stable.  It  was  the  post- 
master's daughter  who  recognised  the  pretended  courier  at 
Saint  Jean  de  Luz,  from  having  seen  him  when  returning  from 
the  Passage  harbour  to  Bordeaux.  (Sparks,  loc.  cit.) 

*  These  memoirs,  written  until  now  in  the  first  person,  change 
here  to  the  third  person,  in  spite  of  the  kind  of  engagement 
taken  in  the  first  page  to  continue  them  in  the  former  manner. 
We  are  ignorant  of  the  cause  of  the  inconsistency  thus  offered 
by  the  manuscript,  which  is,  however,  completely  written  in  the 
general's  own  hand. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  13 

despatch.  After  having  set  out  on  the  road  to 
Marseilles,  he  retraced  his  steps,  and,  disguised  as 
a  courier,  he  had  almost  escaped  all  danger,  when, 
at  Saint  Jean  de  Luz,  a  young  girl  recognised  him  ; 
but  a  sign  from  him  silenced  her,  and  her  adroit 
fidelity  turned  away  all  suspicion.  It  was  thus 
that  M.  de  Lafayette  rejoined  his  ship,  the  26th  of 
April  1777 ;  and  on  that  same  day,  after  six  months 
anxiety  and  labour,  he  set  sail  for  the  American 
continent.* 

(1777.)  As  soon  as  M.  de  Lafayette  had  recover- 
ed from  the  effects  of  sea  sickness,  he  studied  the 
language  and  trade  he  was  adopting.  A  heavy 
ship,  two  bad  cannons,  and  some  guns,  could  not 
have  escaped  from  the  smallest  privateer.  In  his 
present  situation,  he  resolved  rather  to  blow  up 
the  vessel  than  to  surrender ;  he  concerted  mea- 
sures to  achieve  this  end  with  a  brave  Dutchman 
named  Bedaulx,  whose  sole  alternative,  if  taken, 
would  have  been  the  gibbet.  The  captain  insisted 
upon  stopping  at  the  islands ;  but  government 
orders  would  have  been  found  there,  and  he  fol- 
lowed a  direct  course,  less  from  choice  than  from 
compulsion. f  At  forty  leagues  from  shore,  they 
were  met  by  a  small  vessel :  the  captain  turned 

*  See,  at  the  end  of  these  memoirs,  amongst  the  various  frag- 
ments, fragment  A. 

f  The  court  of  France  despatched  orders  to  the  Leeward  and 
Windward  Islands  to  stop  him  on  his  road,  because  the  ship,  not 
being  able  to  take  out  papers  for  North  America,  was  to  have 
stopped  in  the  Spanish  islands.  (Manuscript  No.  1.)  Mr* 
Sparks  relates  that  M.  de  Lafayette  declared  to  the  captain  that 
the  ship  belonged  to  him,  and  that  if  he  offered  the  slightest 
resistance,  he  would  take  from  him  the  command  and  give  it  to 
the  mate.  But  as  he  soon  discovered  that  the  real  motive  of 
the  captain's  resistance  was  a  cargo  belonging  to  him  of  8000 
dollars,  M.  de  Lafayette  secured  to  him  its  full  value  upon  his 
own  private  fortune,  and  thus  succeeded  in  overcoming  all  his 
scruples.  ^Washington's  writings,  lot.  cit.) 


14  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

pale,  but  the  crew  were  attached  to  M.  de  Lafay- 
ette, and  the  officers  were  numerous  :  they  made  a 
.show  of  resistance.  It  turned  out,  fortunately,  to 
be  an  American  ship,  whom  they  vainly  endea- 
voured to  keep  up  with ;  but  scarcely  had  the 
former  lost  sight  of  M.  de  Lafayette's  vessel,  when 
it  fell  in  with  two  English  frigates, — and  this  is 
not  the  only  time  when  the  elements  seemed  bent 
on  opposing  M.  de  Lafayette,  as  if  with  the  inten- 
tion of  saving  him.  After  having  encountered  for 
seven  weeks  various  perils  and  chances,  he  arrived 
at  Georgetown,  in  Carolina.  Ascending  the  river 
in  a  canoe,  his  foot  touched  at  length  the  American 
soil,  and  he  swore  that  he  would  conquer  or  perish 
in  that  cause.  Landing  at  midnight  at  Major 
Huger's  house,*  he  found  a  vessel  sailing  for 
France,  which  appeared  only  waiting  for  his  letters. 
Several  of  the  officers  landed,  others  remained  on 
board,  and  all  hastened  to  proceed  to  Charlestown. 
This  beautiful  city  is  worthy  of  its  inhabitants, 
and  everything  there  announced  not  only  comfort 
but  even  luxury.  Without  knowing  much  of  M. 
de  Lafayette,  the  generals  Howe,f  Moultrie,  and 

*  When  they  landed,  says  Mr.  Sparks,  a  distant  light  served 
to  guide  them.  As  they  approached  the  house  from  whence  it 
issued,  the  dogs  barked,  and  the  people  took  them  for  a  band 
of  marauders  landing  from  an  enemy's  ship.  They  were  asked 
who  they  were,  and  what  they  wanted.  Baron  Kalb  replied, 
and  all  suspicions  vanished.  The  next  morning  the  weather 
was  beautiful.  The  novelty  of  all  that  surrounded  him, — the 
room,  the  bed  covered  with  mosquito  nets,  the  black  servants 
who  came  to  ask  his  commands,  the  beauty  and  foreign  aspect 
of  the  country  which  he  beheld  from  his  windows,  and  which 
was  covered  by  a  rich  vegetation, — all  united  to  produce  on  M. 
de  Lafayette  a  magical  effect,  and  excite  in  him  a  variety  of 
inexpressible  sensations.  (Sparks,  appendix.) 

t  An  American,  who  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  two 
brothers  of  that  name  who  commanded  the  one  the  English 
army,  the  other  the  English  fleet. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  15 

Gulden,  received  him  with  the  utmost  kindness 
and  attention.  The  new  works  were  shewn  him, 
and  also  that  hattery  which  Moultrie  afterwards 
defended  so  extremely  well,  and  which  the  English 
appear,  we  must  acknowledge,  to  have  seized  the 
only  possible  means  of  destroying.  Several  adven- 
turers, the  refuse  of  the  islands,  endeavoured  vainly 
to  unite  themselves  to  M.  de  Lafayette,  and  to 
infuse  into  his  mind  their  own  feelings  and  pre- 
judices. Having  procured  horses,  he  set  out  with 
six  officers  for  Philadelphia.  His  vessel  had  arrived, 
but  it  was  no  longer  protected  by  fortune,  and  on 
its  return  home  it  was  lost  on  the  bar  of  Charles- 
town.  To  repair  to  the  congress  of  the  United 
States,  M.  de  Lafayette  rode  nearly  nine  hundred 
miles  on  horseback  ;  before  reaching  the  capital  of 
Pennsylvania,  he  was  obliged  to  travel  through  the 
two  Carolinas,  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  Delaware. 
Whilst  studying  the  language  and  customs  of  the 
inhabitants,  he  observed  also  new  productions  of 
nature,  and  new  methods  of  cultivation :  vast 
forests  and  immense  rivers  combine  to  give  to  that 
country  an  appearance  of  youth  and  majesty. 
After  a  fatiguing  journey  of  one  month,  he  beheld 
at  length  that  Philadelphia,  so  well  known  in  the 
present  day,  and  whose  future  grandeur  Penn  ap- 
peared to  designate  when  he  laid  the  first  stone  of 
its  foundation. 

After  having  accomplished  his  noble  manoeuvres 
at  Trenton  and  Princetown,  General  Washington 
had  remained  in  his  camp  at  Middlebrook.  The 
English,  finding  themselves  frustrated  in  their  first 
hopes,  combined  to  make  a  decisive  campaign. 
Burgoyne  was  already  advancing  with  ten  thousand 
men,  preceded  by  his  proclamations  and  his  sa- 
vages. Ticonderoga,  a  famous  stand  of  arms,  was 


16  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

abandoned  by  Saint-Glair ;  he  drew  upon  himself 
much  public  odium  by  this  deed,  but  he  saved  the 
only  corps  whom  the  militia  could  rally  round. 
Whilst  the  generals  were  busied  assembling  that 
militia,  the  congress  recalled  them,  sent  Gates  in 
their  place,  and  used  all  possible  means  to  support 
him.  At  that  same  time  the  great  English  army, 
of  about  eighteen  thousand  men,  had  sailed  from 
New  York,  and  the  two  Howes  were  uniting  their 
forces  for  a  secret  enterprise  ;  Rhode  Island  was 
occupied  by  an  hostile  corps,  and  General  Clinton, 
who  had  remained  at  New  York,  was  there  prepar- 
ing for  an  expedition.  To  be  able  to  withstand  so 
many  various  blows,  General  Washington,  leaving 
Putnam  on  the  north  river,  crossed  over  the  Dela- 
ware, and  encamped,  with  eleven  thousand  men, 
within  reach  of  Philadelphia. 

Tt  was  under  these  circumstances  that  M.  de 
Lafayette  first  arrived  in  America ;  but  the  moment, 
although  important  to  the  common  cause,  was 
peculiarly  unfavourable  to  strangers.  The  Ame- 
ricans were  displeased  with  the  pretensions,  and 
disgusted  with  the  conduct,  of  many  Frenchmen  ; 
the  imprudent  selections  they  had  in  some  cases 
made,  the  extreme  boldness  of  some  foreign  adven- 
turers, the  jealousy  of  the  army,  and  strong  na- 
tional prejudices,  all  contributed  to  confound  dis- 
interested zeal  with  private  ambition,  and  talents 
with  quackery.  Supported  by  the  promises  which 
had  been  given  by  Mr.  Deane,  a  numerous  band  of 
foreigners  besieged  the  congress  ;  their  chief  was 
a  clever  but  very  imprudent  man,  and  although  a 
good  officer,  his  excessive  vanity  amounted  almost 
to  madness.  With  M.  de  Lafayette,  Mr.  Deane 
had  sent  out  a  fresh  detachment,  and  every  day 
such  crowds  arrived,  that  the  congress  had  finally 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  17 

adopted  the  plan  of  not  listening  to  any  stranger. 
The  coldness  with  which  M.  de  Lafayette  was  re- 
ceived, might  have  been  taken  as  a  dismissal ;  but, 
without  appearing  disconcerted  by  the  manner  in 
which  the  deputies  addressed  him,*  he  entreated 
them  to  return  to  congress,  and  read  the  following 
note  : — 

"  After  the  sacrifices  I  have  made,  I  have  the 
right  to  exact  two  favours  :  one  is,  to  serve  at  my 
own  expense, — the  other  is,  to  serve  at  first  as  vo- 
lunteer." 

This  style,  to  which  they  were  so  little  accus- 
tomed, awakened  their  attention ;  the  despatches 
from  the  envoys  were  read  over,  and,  in  a  very  flat- 
tering resolution,  the  rank  of  major-general  was 
granted  to  M.  de  Lafayette.  Amongst  the  various 
officers  who  accompanied  him,  several  were  strangers 
to  him  ;  he  was  interested,  however,  for  them  all, 
and  to  those  whose  services  were  not  accepted  an 
indemnity  for  their  trouble  was  granted.  Some 
months  afterwards,  M. drowned  himself  in 


*  When  he  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  M.  de  Lafayette  delivered 
his  letters  to  Mr.  Lovell,  president  of  the  committee  for  foreign 
affairs.  The  next  day  he  proceeded  to  congress :  Mr.  Lovell 
came  out  of  the  meeting,  and  told  him  there  was  but  little  hope 
of  his  request  being  acceded  to.  Suspecting  that  his  letters  had 
not  been  read,  M.  de  Lafayette  wrote  the  note  which  will  be 
found  in  the  text.  The  resolution  of  the  congress  concerning 
him,  deliberated  the  31st  of  July,  is  expressed  in  the  following 
manner :  "  Seeing  that  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  on  account 
of  his  great  zeal  in  the  cause  of  liberty  in  which  the  United 
States  are  engaged,  has  quitted  his  family  and  country,  and  has 
come  to  offer  his  services  to  the  United  States,  without  demand- 
ing either  pay  or  private  indemnity,  and  that  he  desires  to  ex- 
pose his  life  in  our  cause, — resolved,  that  his  services  be 
accepted,  and  that,  on  account  of  his  zeal,  illustrious  family 
and  connexions,  he  shall  have  the  rank  and  commission  of 
major-general  in  the  army  of  the  United  States."  The  real 

C 


18  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

the  Schuylkill,  and  the  loss  of  that  impetuous  and 
imprudent  man  was  perhaps  a  fortunate  circum- 
stance. 

The  two  Howes  having  appeared  before  the  capes 
of  the  Delaware,  General  Washington  came  to 
Philadelphia,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  beheld  for  the 
first  time  that  great  man.*  Although  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  officers  and  citizens,  it  was  impossible 
to  mistake  for  a  moment  his  majestic  figure  and 
deportment ;  nor  was  he  less  distinguished  by  the 
noble  affability  of  his  manner.  M.  de  Lafayette 
accompanied  him  in  his  examination  of  the  fortifi- 
cations. Invited  by  the  General  to  establish  himself 
in  his  house,  he  looked  upon  it  from  that  moment 
as  his  own :  with  this  perfect  ease  and  simplicity 
was  formed  the  tie  that  united  two  friends,  whose 
confidence  and  attachment  were  to  be  cemented  by 
the  strongest  interests  of  humanity. f 

The  American  army,  stationed  some  miles  from 
Philadelphia,  was  waiting  until  the  movements  of 
the  hostile  army  should  be  decided  :  the  General 

intention  of  this  resolution  was  to  give  a  rank  to  M.  de  La- 
fayette, and  to  leave  to  General  Washington  the  right  and  care 
of  confiding  to  him  a  command  in  unison  with  that  rank. 
(Letters  of  Washington,  2nd  part.  V,  p.  10,  35,  and  128,  and 
appendix  No.  I.) 

*  He  was  presented,  for  the  first  time,  to  Washington,  says 
Mr.  Sparks,  at  a  dinner,  at  which  several  members  of  congress 
were  present.  When  they  were  separating,  Washington  drew 
Lafayette  aside,  expressed  much  kindness  for  him,  complimented 
him  upon  his  zeal  and  his  sacrifices,  and  invited  him  to  con- 
sider the  head  quarters  as  his  own  house,  adding,  with  a  smile, 
that  he  could  not  promise  him  the  luxuries  of  a  court,  but  that, 
as  he  was  become  an  American  soldier,  he  would  doubtless 
submit  cheerfully  to  the  customs  and  privations  of  a  republican 
army.  The  next  day  Washington  visited  the  forts  of  the 
Delaware,  and  invited  Lafayette  to  accompany  him.  (Sparks, 
ibid.)  t  See  fragment  B. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  19 

himself  reviewed  the  troops  ;  M.  de  Lafayette 
arrived  there  the  same  day.  Ahout  eleven  thou- 
sand men,  ill  armed,  and  still  worse  clothed,  pre- 
sented a  strange  spectacle  to  the  eye  of  the  young 
Frenchman  :  their  clothes  were  parti-coloured,  and 
many  of  them  were  almost  naked;  the  best  clad 
wore  hunting  shirts,  large  grey  linen  coats  which 
were  much  used  in  Carolina.  As  to  their  military 
tactics,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that,  for  a  regi- 
ment ranged  in  order  of  battle  to  move  forward  on 
the  right  of  its  line,  it  was  necessary  for  the  left  to 
make  a  continued  counter  march.  They  were 
always  arranged  in  two  lines,  the  smallest  men  in 
the  first  line ;  no  other  distinction  as  to  height  was 
ever  observed.  In  spite  of  these  disadvantages,  the 
soldiers  were  fine,  and  the  officers  zealous  ;  virtue 
stood  in  place  of  science,  and  each  day  added  both 
to  experience  and  discipline.  Lord  Stirling,  more 
courageous  than  judicious,  another  general,  who  was 
often  intoxicated,  and  Greene,  whose  talents  were 
only  then  known  to  his  immediate  friends,  com- 
manded as  majors-general.  General  Knox,  who  had 
changed  the  profession  of  bookseller  to  that  of 
artillery  officer,  was  there  also,  and  had  himself 
formed  other  officers,  and  created  an  artillery. 
"We  must  feel  embarrassed,"  said  General  Wash- 
ington, on  his  arrival,  "  to  exhibit  ourselves  before 
an  officer  who  has  just  quitted  French  troops."  "  It 
is  to  learn,  and  not  to  teach,  that  I  come  hither,"  re- 
plied M.  de  Lafayette  ;  and  that  modest  tone,  which 
was  not  common  in  Europeans,  produced  a  very 
good  effect. 

After  having  menaced  the  Delaware,  the  English 
fleet  again  disappeared,  and  during  some  days  the 
Americans  amused  themselves  by  making  jokes  at 
its  expense.  These  jokes,  however,  ceased  when  it 

c  2 


20  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

reappeared  in  the  Chesapeak ;  and,  in  order  to  ap- 
proach it  more  closely  during  the  disembarkation,  the 
patriot  army  crossed  through  the  town.  Their  heads 
covered  with  green  branches,  and  marching  to  the 
sound  of  drums  and  fifes,  these  soldiers,  in  spite  of 
their  state  of  nudity,  offered  an  agreeable  spectacle 
to  the  eyes  of  all  the  citizens.  General  Washington 
was  marching  at  their  head,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  was 
by  his  side.  The  army  stationed  itself  upon  the 
heights  of  Wilmington,  and  that  of  the  enemy  landed 
in  the  Elk  river,  at  the  bottom  of  Chesapeak  bay. 
The  very  day  they  landed,  General  Washington  ex- 
posed himself  to  danger  in  the  most  imprudent 
manner  ;  after  having  reconnoitred  for  a  long  time 
the  enemy's  position,  he  was  overtaken  by  a  storm 
during  a  very  dark  night,  entered  a  farm  house  close 
to  the  hostile  army,  and,  from  a  reluctance  to  change 
his  own  opinion,  remained  there  with  General 
Greene,  M.  de  Lafayette,  and  their  aide-de-camp ; 
but  when  at  day  break  he  quitted  the  farm,  he  ac- 
knowledged that  any  one  traitor  might  have  caused 
his  ruin.  Some  days  later,  Sullivan's  division 
joined  the  army,  which  augmented  it  in  all  to 
thirteen  thousand  men.  This  Major- General  Sul- 
livan made  a  good  beginning,  but  a  bad  ending,  in 
an  intended  surprise  on  Staten  Island. 

If,  by  making  too  extensive  a  plan  of  attack,  the 
English  committed  a  great  error,  it  must  also  be 
acknowledged  that  the  Americans  were  not  irre- 
proachable in  their  manner  of  defence.  Burgoyne, 
leading  his  army,  with  their  heads  bent  upon  the 
ground,  into  woods  from  whence  he  could  not  ex- 
tricate them,  dragged  on,  upon  a  single  road,  his 
numerous  cannons  and  rich  military  equipages. 
Certain  of  not  being  attacked  from  behind,  the 
Americans  could  dispute  every  step  they  took  :  this 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  21 

kind  of  warfare  attracted  the  militia,  and  Gates  im- 
proved each  day  in  strength.  Every  tree  sheltered 
a  skilful  rifleman,  and  the  resources  offered  by  mili- 
tary tactics,  and  the  talents  even  of  their  chiefs,  had 
become  useless  to  the  English.  The  corps  left  in 
New  York  could,  it  is  true,  laugh  at  the  corps  of 
Putnam,  but  it  was  too  feeble  to  succour  Bur- 
goyne ;  and  instead  of  being  able  to  secure  his 
triumph,  its  own  fate  was  even  dependent  upon  his. 
During  that  time,  Howe  was  only  thinking  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  it  was  at  the  expense  of  the  northern 
expedition  that  he  was  repairing  thither  by  an 
enormous  circuit.  But,  on  the  other  side,  why  wrere 
the  English  permitted  to  land  so  tranquilly  ?  Why 
was  the  moment  aUowed  to  pass  when  their  army 
was  divided  by  the  river  Elk  ?  Why  in  the  south 
were  so  many  false  movements  and  so  much  hesita- 
tion displayed  ?  Because  the  Americans  had  hitherto 
had  combats  but  not  battles  ;  because,  instead  of 
harassing  an  army  and  disputing  hollows,  they  were 
obliged  to  protect  an  open  city,  and  manoeuvre  in  a 
plain,  close  to  an  hostile  army,  who,  by  attacking 
them  from  behind,  might  completely  ruin  them. 
General  Washington,  had  he  followed  the  advice  of 
the  people,  would  have  enclosed  his  army  in  a  city, 
and  thus  have  entrusted  to  one  hazard  the  fate  of 
America  ;  but,  whilst  refusing  to  commit  such  an 
act  of  folly,  he  was  obliged  to  make  some  sacrifice, 
and  gratify  the  nation  by  a  battle.  Europe  even 
expected  it ;  and  although  he  had  been  created  a 
dictator  for  six  months,  the  General  thought  he 
ought  to  submit  everything  to  the  orders  of  con- 
gress, and  to  the  deliberations  of  a  council  of  war. 

After  having  advanced  as  far  as  Wilmington,  the 
general  had  detached  a  thousand  men  under  Max- 
well, the  most  ancient  brigadier  in  the  army.  At 


22  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

the  first  march  of  the  English,  he  was  beaten  hy 
their  advance  guard  near  Christiana  Bridge.  Dur- 
ing that  time  the  army  took  but  an  indifferent  sta- 
tion at  Newport ;  they  then  removed  a  little  south, 
waited  two  days  for  the  enemy,  and,  at  the  moment 
when  these  were  marching  upon  their  right  wing,  a 
nocturnal  council  of  war  decided  that  the  army  was 
to  proceed  to  the  Brandywine.  The  stream  bearing 
that  name  covered  its  front ;  the  ford  called  Chad's 
Ford,  placed  nearly  in  the  centre,  was  defended  by 
batteries.  It  was  in  that  hardly  examined  station 
that,  in  obedience  to  a  letter  from  congress,  the 
Americans  awaited  the  battle.  The  evening  of  the 
10th  of  September,  Howe  advanced  in  two  co- 
lumns, and,  by  a  very  fine  movement,  the  left  column 
(about  8000  men  under  Lord  Cornwallis,  with  the 
grenadiers  and  guards)  directed  themselves  towards 
the  fords  of  Birmingham,  three  miles  on  our  right ; 
the  other  column  continued  its  road,  and  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  appeared  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stream.  The  enemy  was  so  near 
the  skirts  of  the  wood  that  it  was  impossible  to 
judge  of  his  force  ;  some  time  was  lost  in  a  mutual 
cannonading.  General  Washington  walked  along 
his  two  lines,  and  was  received  with  acclamations 
which  seemed  to  promise  him  success.  The  intel- 
ligence that  was  received  of  the  movements  of  Corn- 
wallis was  both  confused  and  contradictory;  owing 
to  the  conformity  of  name  betwixt  two  roads  that 
were  of  equal  length  and  parallel  to  each  other,  the 
best  officers  were  mistaken  in  their  reports.  The 
only  musket  shots  that  had  been  fired  were  from 
Maxwell,  who  killed  several  of  the  enemy,  but  was 
driven  back  upon  the  left  of  the  American  army, 
across  a  ford  by  which  he  had  before  advanced. 
Three  thousand  militia  had  been  added  to  the 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  23 

army,  but  they  were  placed  in  the  rear  to  guard 
some  still  more  distant  militia,  and  took  no  part 
themselves  in  the  action.  Such  was  the  situation 
of  the  troops  when  they  learnt  the  march  of  Lord 
Cornwallis  towards  the  scarcely  known  fords  of 
Birmingham  :  they  then  detached  three  divisions, 
forming  about  five  thousand  men,  under  the  generals 
Sullivan,  Stirling,  and  Stephen.  M.  de  Lafayette, 
as  volunteer,  had  always  accompanied  the  general. 
The  left  wing  remaining  in  a  state  of  tranquillity, 
and  the  right  appearing  fated  to  receive  all  the 
heavy  blows,  he  obtained  permission  to  join  Sul- 
livan. At  his  arrival,  which  seemed  to  inspirit 
the  troops,  he  found  that,  the  enemy  having  crossed 
the  ford,  the  corps  of  Sullivan  had  scarcely  had  time 
to  form  itself  on  a  line  in  front  of  a  thinly -wooded 
forest.  A  few  moments  after,  Lord  Cornwallis 
formed  in  the  finest  order  :  advancing  across  the 
plain,  his  first  line  opened  a  brisk  fire  of  mus- 
ketry and  artillery ;  the  Americans  returned  the 
fire,  and  did  much  injury  to  the  enemy  ;  but  their 
right  and  left  wings  having  given  way,  the  generals 
and  several  officers  joined  the  central  division, 
in  which  were  M.  de  Lafayette  and  Stirling,  and 
of  which  eight  hundred  men  were  commanded 
in  a  most  brilliant  manner  by  Conway,  an  Irish- 
man, in  the  service  of  France.  By  separating  that 
division  from  its  two  wings,  and  advancing  through 
an  open  plain,  in  which  they  lost  many  men,  the 
enemy  united  all  his  fire  upon  the  centre  :  the  con- 
fusion became  extreme  ;  and  it  was  whilst  M.  de 
Lafayette  was  rallying  the  troops  that  a  ball  passed 
through  his  leg  ; — at  that  moment  all  those  remain- 
ing on  the  field  gave  way.  M.  de  Lafayette  was  in- 
debted to  Gimat,  his  aide-de-camp,  for  the  happiness 
of  getting  upon  his  horse.  General  Washington  ar- 


24  MEMOIRS     OF    MYSELF 

rived  from  a  distance  with  fresh  troops  ;  M.  de  La- 
fayette was  preparing  to  join  him,  when  loss  of  blood 
obliged  him  to  stop  and  have  his  wound  bandaged  ; 
he  was  even  very  near  being  taken.  Fugitives, 
cannon,  and  baggage  now  crowded  without  order 
into  the  road  leading  to  Chester.  The  general  em- 
ployed the  remaining  daylight  in  checking  the 
enemy :  some  regiments  behaved  extremely  well, 
but  the  disorder  was  complete.  During  that  time 
the  ford  of  Chad  was  forced,  the  cannon  taken, 
and  the  Chester  road  became  the  common  retreat  of 
the  whole  army.  In  the  midst  of  that  dreadful  con- 
fusion, and  during  the  darkness  of  the  night,  it  was 
impossible  to  recover  ;  but  at  Chester,  twelve  miles 
from  the  field  of  battle,  they  met  with  a  bridge 
which  it  was  necessary  to  cross ;  M.  de  Lafayette 
occupied  himself  in  arresting  the  fugitives  ;  some 
degree  of  order  was  re-established ;  the  generals  and 
the  commander-in-chief  arrived;  and  he  had  leisure 
to  have  his  wound  dressed. 

It  was  thus,  at  twenty-six  miles  from  Philadel- 
phia, that  the  fate  of  that  town  was  decided,  (llth 
September,  1777.)  The  inhabitants  had  heard  every 
cannon  that  was  fired  there ;  the  two  parties,  as- 
sembled in  two  distinct  bands  in  all  the  squares  and 
public  places,  had  awaited  the  event  in  silence.  The 
last  courier  at  length  arrived,  and  the  friends  of 
liberty  were  thrown  into  consternation.  The  Ame- 
ricans had  lost  from  1000  to  1200  men.  Howe's 
army  was  composed  of  about  12,000  men ;  their 
losses  had  been  so  considerable  that  their  surgeons, 
and  those  in  the  country,  were  found  insufficient,  and 
they  requested  the  American  army  to  supply  them 
with  some  for  their  prisoners.  If  the  enemy  had 
marched  to  Derby,  the  army  would  have  been  cut 
up  and  destroyed:  they  lost  an  all-important  night; 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  25 

and  this  was  perhaps  their  greatest  fault,  during  a 
war  in  which  they  committed  so  many  errors. 

M.  de  Lafayette,  having  been  conveyed  by  water 
to  Philadelphia,  was  carefully  attended  to  by  the 
citizens,  who  were  all  interested  in  his  situation  and 
extreme  youth.  That  same  evening  the  congress 
determined  to  quit  the  city  :  a  vast  number  of  the 
inhabitants  deserted  their  own  hearths — whole  fa- 
milies, abandoning  their  possessions,  and  uncertain 
of  the  future,  took  refuge  in  the  mountains.  M.  de 
Lafayette  was  carried  to  Bristol  in  a  boat ;  he  there 
saw  the  fugitive  congress,  who  only  assembled  again 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Susquehannah ;  he  was 
himself  conducted  to  Bethlehem,  a  Moravian  esta- 
blishment, where  the  mild  religion  of  the  brother- 
hood, the  community  of  fortune,  education,  and  in- 
terests, amongst  that  large  and  simple  family ,  formed 
a  striking  contrast  to  scenes  of  blood,  and  the  con- 
vulsions occasioned  by  a  civil  war. 

After  the  Brandywine  defeat,  the  two  armies 
manceuvered  along  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill. 
General  Washington  still  remained  on  a  height 
above  the  enemy,  and  completely  out  of  his  reach ; 
nor  had  they  again  an  opportunity  of  cutting 
him  off.  Waine,  an  American  brigadier,  was  de- 
tached to  observe  the  English ;  but,  being  surprised 
during  the  night,  near  the  White-Horse,  by  General 
Grey,  he  lost  there  the  greatest  part  of  his  corps. 
At  length  Howe  crossed  the  Schuylkill  at  Swede's 
Ford,  and  Lord  Cornwallis  entered  Philadelphia. 

In  spite  of  the  declaration  of  independence  of  the 
New  States,  everything  there  bore  the  appearance 
of  a  civil  war.  The  names  of  Whig  and  Tory  dis- 
tinguished the  republicans  and  royalists  ;  the  En- 
glish army  was  still  called  the  regular  troops ;  the 
British  sovereign  was  always  designated  by  the  name 


26  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

of  the  king.  Provinces,  towns,  and  families  were 
divided  by  the  violence  of  party  spirit:  brothers, 
officers  in  the  two  opposing  armies,  meeting 
by  chance  in  their  father's  house,  have  seized 
their  arms  to  fight  with  each  other.  Whilst,  in  all 
the  rancour  of  their  pride,  the  English  committed 
horrible  acts  of  licence  and  cruelty, — whilst  disci- 
pline dragged  in  her  train  those  venal  Germans  who 
knew  only  how  to  kill,  burn,  and  pillage, — in  that 
same  army  were  seen  regiments  of  Americans,  who, 
trampling  under  foot  their  brethren,  assisted  in  en- 
slaving their  wasted  country.  Each  canton  con- 
tained a  still  greater  number  whose  sole  object  was 
to  injure  the  friends  of  liberty,  and  give  information 
to  those  of  despotism.  To  these  inveterate  Tories 
must  be  added  the  number  of  those  whom  fear,  pri- 
vate interest,  or  religion,  rendered  adverse  to  the 
war.  If  the  Presbyterians,  the  children  of  Crom- 
well and  Fairfax,  detested  royalty,  the  Lutherans, 
who  had  sprung  from  it,  were  divided  among  them- 
selves :  the  Quakers  hated  slaughter,  but  served 
willingly  as  guides  to  the  royal  troops.  Insurrec- 
tions were  by  no  means  uncommon :  near  the  ene- 
my's stations,  farmers  often  shot  each  other ;  robbers 
were  even  encouraged.  The  republican  chiefs  were 
exposed  to  great  dangers  when  they  travelled  through 
the  country ;  it  was  always  necessary  for  them  to 
declare  that  they  should  pass  the  night  in  one  house, 
then  take  possession  of  another,  barricade  themselves 
in  it,  and  only  sleep  with  their  arms  by  their  side.  In 
the  midst  of  these  troubles,  M.  de  Lafayette  was  no 
longer  considered  as  a  stranger ;  never  was  any  adop- 
tion more  complete  than  his  own :  and  whilst,  in  the 
councils  of  war,  he  trembled  when  he  considered  that 
his  voice  (at  twenty  years  of  age)  might  decide  the 
fate  of  two  worlds,  he  was  also  initiated  in  those  de- 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  27 

liberations  in  which,  by  reassuring  the  Whigs,  inti- 
midating the  Tories,  supporting  an  ideal  money,  and 
redoubling  their  firmness  in  the  hour  of  adversity, 
the  American  chiefs  conducted  that  revolution 
through  so  many  obstacles. 

Confined  to  his  bed  for  six  weeks,  M.  de  Lafay- 
ette suffered  from  his  wound,  but  still  more  severely 
from  his  inactivity.  The  good  Moravian  brothers 
loved  him,  and  deplored  his  warlike  folly.  Whilst 
listening  to  their  sermons,  he  planned  setting  Europe 
and  Asia  in  a  flame.  As  he  was  no  longer  able  to 
do  anything  but  write,  he  wrote  to  the  commander 
of  la  Martinique,  and  proposed  to  him  to  make  a 
descent  upon  the  English  islands  under  American 
colours.  He  wrote  also  to  M.  de  Maurepas,  and 
offered  to  conduct  some  Americans  to  the  Isle  of 
France,  concerting  previously  with  individuals  an 
attack  upon  the  English  factories.*  From  the  par- 
ticulars which  have  since  become  known,  that  pro- 
ject in  India  would  have  succeeded ;  but  it  was  re- 
jected at  Versailles,  where  no  answers  were  yet 
vouchsafed  to  M.  de  Lafayette's  letters.  Bouille, 
more  ardent  in  temper,  would  have  adopted  the 
whole  plan,  but  he  could  not  act  without  permission  ; 

*  From  Bethlehem  he  wrote  to  M.  de  Bouille,  governor  of 
the  Windward  Islands,  to  propose  to  him  to  attack  the  English 
islands  under  American  colours.  That  general  approved  of  the 
project,  and  forwarded  it  to  the  court,  who  would  not,  however, 
accept  it.  At  the  same  period,  M.  de  Lafayette,  although  in 
disgrace  himself  at  court,  wrote  to  the  Count  de  Maurepas,  to 
propose  to  him  a  still  more  important  enterprise  against  the 
English  factories,  but  also  under  American  colours.  The  old 
minister,  from  prudential  motives,  did  not  adopt  this  project, 
but  he  spoke  publicly  in  praise  of  it,  and  expressed,  ever  after, 
a  great  partiality  for  Lafayette.  "  He  will  end,  one  day,"  said 
he,  smiling,  "  by  unfurnishing  the  palace  of  Versailles  to  serve  the 
American  cause ;  for  when  he  has  taken  anything  into  his  head, 
it  is  impossible  to  resist  him." — (Note  by  M.  de  Lafayette.) 


28  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

and  these  delays  led  to  the  period  of  the  war  which 
M.  de  Lafayette  was  so  desirous  of  bringing  on. 

During  his  residence  at  Bethlehem,  the  English 
entrenched  themselves  at  Philadelphia.  The  two 
rivers  which  encompassed  the  town  were  united  by  a 
chain  of  wooden  palisades  and  good  redoubts,  partly 
covered  by  an  inundation.  A  portion  of  their  army 
was  encamped  at  German  town,  five  miles  in  advance 
of  those  lines ;  these  were  attacked,  the  4th  of 
October,  by  Washington,  and  although  his  left 
column  was  retarded  by  an  absurd  precedence  of  di- 
visions, and  misled  by  a  thick  fog, — although  the 
advance  guard  of  the  right,  under  Conway,  attacked 
in  front  what  it  ought  to  have  attacked  in  flank,  the 
enemy  was  not  less  taken  by  surprise  and  beaten ; 
and  the  general,  with  his  victorious  wing,  passed 
through  the  whole  extent  of  the  enemy's  encamp- 
ment. All  things  went  on  well  until  then;  but  a 
false  movement  of  the  left  column,  and  still  more 
the  attack  of  a  stone  house  which  they  should  have 
turned,  gave  the  enemy  time  to  rally.  Howe 
was  thinking  of  a  retreat,  but  Cornwallis  arrived 
in  haste  with  a  reinforcement.  The  Americans 
repassed  through  the  English  encampment,  and 
the  action  ended  by  a  complete  defeat.  Many 
men  were  lost  on  both  sides.  General  Agnew,  an 
Englishman,  and  General  Nash,  an  American,  were 
killed.  The  Americans  had  some  dragoons  under 
Pulaski,  the  only  one  of  the  confederated  Poles 
who  had  refused  to  accept  a  pardon.  He  was  an 
intrepid  knight,  a  libertine  and  devotee,  and  a 
better  captain  than  general;  he  insisted  on  being 
a  Pole  on  all  occasions,  and  M.  de  Lafayette,  after 
having  contributed  to  his  reception  in  the  army, 
often  exerted  himself  to  effect  a  reconciliation  be- 
twixt him  and  the  other  officers. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  29 

Without  waiting  for  his  wound  to  be  closed,  M. 
de  Lafayette  returned  to  head-quarters,  twenty-five 
miles  from  Philadelphia.  The  enemy,  who  had 
fallen  back  upon  their  lines,  attacked  Fort  Mifflin, 
upon  an  island,  and  Fort  Red-Bank,  on  the  left 
side  of  the  Delaware.  Some  chevaux  de  frise,  pro- 
tected by  the  forts,  and  some  galleys,  stopped  the 
•fleet,  magazines,  and  detachments  which  had  been 
sent  from  the  Chesapeak.  Amongst  the  skirmishes 
which  took  place  betwixt  small  parties  of  soldiers, 
the  most  remarkable  one  was  the  surprise  of  a  corps 
of  militia  at  Cevoked-Billet,*  in  which  the  English 
burnt  their  wounded  prisoners  in  a  barn.  Such 
was  the  situation  of  the  south,  when  news  was  re- 
ceived of  the  capitulation  of  Burgoyne.  That  gene- 
ral, when  he  quitted  Canada,  had  made  a  diversion 
on  his  right ;  but  Saint  Leger  had  failed  in  an  opera- 
tion against  Fort  Schuyler ;  and  he  himself,  by 
advancing  towards  Albany,  appeared  to  have  lost 
much  time.  Gates  was  constantly  adding  numerous 
militia  to  his  continental  troops.  All  the  citizens 
being  armed  militia,  a  signal  of  alarm  assembled 
them,  or  an  order  of  state  summoned  them  to 
march.  But  if  that  crusade  was  rather  a  voluntary 
one,  their  residence  at  the  camp  was  still  more  de- 
pendent on  their  own  inclination :  the  discipline 
was  suitable  to  the  formation  of  the  corps.  The 
continentalists,  on  the  contrary,  belonged  to  the 
thirteen  states,  of  which  each  one  supplied 
some  regiments ;  the  soldiers  were  either  engaged 
for  the  war  or  for  three  years,  which  improper 
alternative  was  occasioned  by  republican  jealousy. 
These  regular  troops  had  military  regulations,  a 
severe  discipline,  and  the  officers  of  each  state  vied 

*  This  name  is  very  illegible  in  the  manuscript. 


30  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

with  each  other  for  promotion.  Gates,  placed  in 
an  entrenched  position,  in  the  centre  of  woods,  on 
the  road  to  Albany,  and  with  the  North  river  on  his 
right,  had  assembled  sixteen  thousand  men ;  and 
this  invasion  of  the  enemy,  by  threatening  New 
England,  had  served  as  an  instant  summons  to  her 
brave  militia.  They  had  already  proved  their 
strength  at  Bennington,  where  Stark  had  sur- 
rounded and  destroyed  a  detachment  belonging  to 
Burgoyne.  The  enemy,  having  arrived  within 
three  miles  of  Gates,  and  not  being  able  to  make  a 
circuit  round  him  without  abandoning  their  cannon 
and  military  accoutrements,  attempted  twice  to 
force  him;  but  they  had  scarcely  commenced  their 
march  when  Arnold  fell  upon  them  with  his  divi- 
sion, and  in  those  woods,  lined  with  sharpshooters,  it 
was  only  possible  for  them  to  reach  the  entrench- 
ments. Arnold  had  his  leg  broken  at  the  second 
affair  ;  Lincoln,  the  other  major-general,  was  wound- 
ed also.  Four  thousand  men,  who  embarked  at 
New  York,  had,  it  is  true,  ascended  the  Hudson. 
Whilst  Vaughan  was  needlessly  burning  Esopus, 
Clinton  had  taken  all  the  forts  that  defended  the 
river.  They  were  but  little  annoyed  by  Putnam, 
who,  in  the  first  breaking  out  of  the  troubles,  had 
thrown  aside  his  plough  to  bear  to  the  army  far 
more  zeal  than  talent.  But  still  that  diversion  was 
too  weak ;  and  by  a  note  which  a  spy  who  had  been 
taken  swallowed,  but  which  was  recovered  by  an 
emetic,  it  was  seen  that  Clinton  was  aware  of  his 
own  weakness.  Burgoyne,  abandoned  by  the 
savages,  regretting  his  best  soldiers,  and  Frazer 
his  best  general,  reduced  to  five  thousand  men, 
who  were  in  want  of  provisions,  wished  to  retreat ; 
but  it  was  then  too  late  :  his  communications  were 
no  longer  open ;  and  it  was  at  Saratoga,  some  miles 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  31 

in  the  rear  of  his  army,  that  he  signed  the  cele- 
brated convention.  A  brilliant  troop,  covered  with 
gold,  filed  out  with  Burgoyne :  they  encountered 
Gates  and  his  officers,  all  clothed  in  plain  grey 
cloth.  After  a  frugal  repast,  the  two  generals 
beheld  the  conquered  army  filing  out;  and,  as  a 
member  of  parliament  said,  "five  thousand  men 
crossed  the  rebel  country  to  take  up  their  winter  quar- 
ters near  Boston"  Clinton  then  redescended  to 
New  York,  and  the  militia  returned  to  their  do- 
mestic hearths.  Gates'  chief  merit  consisted  in  his 
skilful  choice  of  a  position  ;  Burgoyne's  misfortune 
was  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  country,  which  was 
impracticable  and  almost  a  desert.  If  the  enemies 
of  the  former  criticised  the  terms  of  the  convention, 
M.  de  Lafayette  loudly  proclaimed  how  glorious  he 
thought  it ;  but  he  blamed  Gates  afterwards  for  ren- 
dering himself  independent  of  his  general,  and  for 
retaining  the  troops  which  he  ought  to  have  sent 
him.  To  obtain  them,  it  was  necessary  to  despatch 
Hamilton,  a  young  man  of  great  talents,  whose 
counsels  had  justly  acquired  much  credit.* 

The  forts  of  the  Delaware  had  not  yet  yielded : 
that  of  Red-Bank,  defended  by  four  hundred  men, 
was  attacked,  sword  in  hand,  by  sixteen  hundred 
Hessians.  The  work  having  been  reduced  by 
Mauduit,  a  young  Frenchman,  the  enemy  engaged 
betwixt  the  old  and  new  entrenchments.  They 
were  driven  back  with  the  loss  of  seven  hundred 
men  and  Count  Donop,  their  chief,  whose  last 
words  were — "  I  die  the  victim  of  my  own  ambition, 
and  the  avarice  of  my  sovereign."  That  fort  was  com- 
manded by  an  old  and  respected  colonel,  Greene, 

*  The  celebrated  Alexander  Hamilton,  one  of  the  authors  of 
the  Federalist. 


32  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

who,  three  years  after,  was  massacred  hy  the  English, 
to  whom  he  had  surrendered,  whilst,  covering  him 
with  his  own  body,  an  old  negro  perished  heroically 
by  his  side.  Fort  Miiflin,  although  attacked  by  land 
and  water,  did  not  defend  itself  less  valiantly ;  the 
Augusta,  an  English  ship  of  the  line,  had  been 
already  blown  up ;  a  frigate  also  perished ;  and 
Colonel  Smith  did  not  even  think  of  surrendering : 
but  the  island  being  attacked  from  an  unknown 
passage,  the  works  were  assaulted  from  the  rear, 
and  were  obliged  to  be  evacuated.  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  and  five  thousand  men  having  fallen  upon  the 
Jerseys,  it  became  also  necessary  to  quit  Red-Bank, 
which  the  Americans  blew  up  before  leaving  it : 
General  Greene,  crossing  the  river  at  Trenton, 
opposed,  with  a  precisely  equal  force,  the  detachment 
of  Cornwallis. 

Although  M.  de  Lafayette's  wound  was  not  yet 
sufficiently  closed  for  him  to  put  on  a  boot,  he 
accompanied  Greene  to  Mount  Holly ;  and  detaching 
himself  in  order  to  reconnoitre,  he  found  the  enemy, 
November  25th,  at  Gloucester,  opposite  Phila- 
delphia. The  booty  they  had  collected  was  crossing 
the  river.  To  assure  himself  more  fully  on  this  point, 
M.  de  Lafayette  advanced  upon  the  strip  of  land 
called  Sandy  Point,  and  for  this  imprudence  he 
would  have  paid  dearly  if  those  who  had  the  power 
of  killing  him  had  not  depended  too  much  on  those 
who  had  the  power  of  taking  him  prisoner.  After 
having  succeeded  in  somewhat  appeasing  the  terror 
of  his  guides,  he  found  himself,  about  four  o'clock, 
two  miles  from  the  English  camp,  before  a  post  of 
four  hundred  Hessians  with  their  cannon.  Having 
only  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  most  of  them 
militia,  he  suddenly  attacked  the  enemy,  who  gave 
way  before  him.  Lord  Cornwallis  came  up  with  his 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  33 

grenadiers ;  but,  supposing  himself  to  be  engaged 
with  the  corps  of  General  Greene,  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  driven  back  to  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Gloucester,  with  a  loss  of  about  sixty 
men.  Greene  arrived  in  the  night,  but  would  not 
attack  the  enemy.  Lord  Cornwallis  passed  over 
the  river,  and  the  American  detachment  rejoined 
the  army  at  its  station  at  Whitemarsh,  twelve  miles 
from  Philadelphia.  It  had  occupied,  since  the  last 
month,  some  excellent  heights  ;  the  general's  accu- 
rate glance  had  discerned  the  situation  of  the  en- 
campment through  an  almost  impenetrable  wood. 

The  slight  success  of  Gloucester  gratified  the 
army,  and  especially  the  militia.  The  congress 
resolved,  that  "  it  would  be  extremely  agreeable  to 
them  to  see  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  at  the  head  of 
a  division."*  He  quitted,  therefore,  his  situation 
of  volunteer,  and  succeeded  Stephen  in  the  command 
of  the  Virginians.  The  junction  of  Cornwallis 
having  been  the  work  of  some  hours,  and  that  of 
Greene  requiring  several  marches,  it  is  difficult  to 
imagine  why  Howe  gave  him  time  to  arrive,  and 
only  proceeded  with  his  army  on  the  5th  of  Decem- 
ber to  Chesnut  Hill,  three  miles  from  Whitemarsh. 
After  having  felt  his  way  with  the  right  wing,  of 
which  he  stood  in  some  awe,  he  threatened  to  attack 
the  extreme  left ;  and  that  wing,  following  his  own 
movements,  stationed  itself  on  the  declivity  of  the 
heights.  Some  shots  were  exchanged  betwixt  the 
English  light  horsemen  and  the  American  riflemen, 
very  skilful  carabineers,  who  inhabit  the  frontiers  of 
the  savage  tribes.  Not  being  able  to  attack  that  posi- 
tion, and  not  wishing  to  make  the  circuit  of  it,  Howe 
returned,  on  the  fourth  day,  to  Philadelphia.  In 

*  Journal  of  Congress,  1st  December,  1777. 
VOL.  I.  D 


34  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

spite  of  the  northern  reinforcements,  the  Americans 
were  reduced  to  nine  thousand,  and  the  advanced 
season  diminished  their  numbers  rapidly.  The 
protection  of  the  country  had  cost  the  army  dear. 
The  15th  of  December  they  marched  towards 
Swedes'  Ford,  where  Lord  Cornwallis  was  accident- 
ally foraging  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  M. 
de  Lafayette,  being  upon  duty,  was  examining  a 
position,  when  his  escort  and  the  enemy  fired 
upon  each  other.  The  uncertainty  being  mutual, 
Lord  Cornwallis  and  General  Washington  suspended 
their  march ;  the  former  having  retired  during  the 
night,  the  army  crossed  over  the  Schuylkill,  and  en- 
trenched itself  in  the  station  of  Valley-Forge,  twenty- 
two  miles  from  Philadelphia.  Having  skilfully 
erected  there,  in  a  few  days,  a  city  of  wooden  huts, 
the  army  established  itself  in  its  melancholy  winter 
quarters.  A  small  corps  was  detached  to  Wilming- 
ton, and  fortified  itself,  under  the  command  of 
Brigadier-General  Smallwood. 

Notwithstanding  the  success  in  the  north,  the  situ- 
ation of  the  Americans  had  never  been  more  critical 
than  at  the  present  moment.  A  paper  money,  with- 
out any  certain  foundation,  and  unmixed  with  any 
specie,  was  both  counterfeited  by  the  enemy  and 
discredited  by  their  partizans.  They  feared  to 
establish  taxes,  and  had  still  less  the  power  of  levy- 
ing them.  The  people,  who  had  risen  against  the 
taxation  of  England,  ^ere  astonished  at  paying  still 
heavier  taxes  now  ;  and  the  government  was  with- 
out any  power  to  enforce  them.  On  the  other  side, 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  were  overstocked  with 
gold  and  various  merchandizes ;  the  threatened 
penalty  of  death  could  not  stop  a  communication 
that  was  but  too  easy.  To  refuse  the  payment  of 
taxes,  to  depreciate  the  paper  currency,  and  feed 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  35 

the  enemy,  was  a  certain  method  of  attaining 
wealth ;  privations  and  misery  were  only  experi- 
enced by  good  citizens.  Each  proclamation  of  the 
English  was  supported  by  their  seductions,  their 
riches,  and  the  intrigues  of  the  Tories.  Whilst  a 
numerous  garrison  lived  sumptuously  at  New  York, 
some  hundreds  of  men,  ill-clothed  and  ill-fed,  wan- 
dered upon  the  shores  of  the  Hudson.  The  army 
of  Philadelphia,  freshly  recruited  from  Europe, 
abundantly  supplied  with  everything  they  could 
require,  consisted  of  eighteen  thousand  men  :  that 
of  Valley-Forge  was  successively  reduced  to  five 
thousand  men  ;  and  two  marches  on  the  fine  Lan- 
caster road,  (on  which  road  also  was  a  chain  of 
magazines,)  by  establishing  the  English  in  the  rear  of 
their  right  flank,  would  have  rendered  their  position 
untenable  ;  from  which,  however,  they  had  no  means 
of  retiring.  The  unfortunate  soldiers  were  in  want  of 
everything;  they  had  neither  coats,  hats,  shirts,  nor 
shoes ;  their  feet  and  legs  froze  till  they  became  black, 
and  it  was  often  necessary  to  amputate  them.  From 
want  of  money,  they  could  neither  obtain  provisions 
nor  any  means  of  transport ;  the  colonels  were 
often  reduced  to  two  rations,  and  sometimes  even 
to  one.  The  army  frequently  remained  whole  days 
without  provisions,  and  the  patient  endurance  of 
both  soldiers  and  officers  was  a  miracle  which  each 
moment  served  to  renew.  But  the  sight  of  their 
misery  prevented  new  engagements  :  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  levy  recruits  ;  it  was  easy  to  desert 
into  the  interior  of  the  country.  The  sacred  fire  of 
liberty  was  not  extinguished,  it  is  true,  and  the  ma- 
jority of  the  citizens  detested  British  tyranny  ;  but 
the  triumph  of  the  north,  and  the  tranquillity  of  the 
south,  had  lulled  to  sleep  two-thirds  of  the  conti- 
nent. The  remaining  part  was  harassed  by  two 

D  2 


36  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

armies ;  and,  throughout  this  revolution,  the  greatest 
difficulty  was,  that,  in  order  to  conceal  misfor- 
tunes from  the  enemy,  it  was  necessary  to  conceal 
them  from  the  nation  also  ;  that  by  awakening  the 
one,  information  was  likewise  given  to  the  other;  and 
that  fatal  blows  would  have  been  struck  upon  the 
weakest  points  before  democratic  tardiness  could 
have  been  roused  to  support  them.  It  was  from 
this  cause  that,  during  the  whole  war,  the  real  force 
of  the  army  was  always  kept  a  profound  secret ; 
even  congress  was  not  apprised  of  it,  and  the  gene- 
rals were  often  themselves  deceived.  General 
Washington  never  placed  unlimited  confidence  in 
any  person,  except  in  M.  de  Lafayette  ;  because  for 
him  alone,  perhaps,  confidence  sprung  from  warm 
affection.  As  the  situation  grew  more  critical,  dis- 
cipline became  more  necessary.  In  the  course  of  his 
nocturnal  rounds,  in  the  midst  of  heavy  snows,  M 
de  Lafayette  was  obliged  to  break  some  negligent 
officers.  He  adopted  in  every  respect  the  American 
dress,  habits,  and  food.  He  wished  to  be  more 
simple,  frugal,  and  austere  than  the  Americans 
themselves.  Brought  up  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  he 
suddenly  changed  his  whole  manner  of  living,  and 
his  constitution  bent  itself  to  privation  as  well  as  to 
fatigue.  He  always  took  the  liberty  of  freely 
writing  his  ideas  to  congress  ;  or,  in  imitation  of  the 
prudence  of  the  general,  he  gave  his  opinion  to 
some  members  of  a  corps  or  state  assembly,  that, 
being  adopted  by  them,  it  might  be  brought  for- 
ward in  the  deliberations  of  congress. 

In  addition  to  the  difficulties  which  lasted  during 
the  whole  of  the  war,  the  winter  of  Valley-Forge 
recals  others  still  more  painful.  At  Yorktown,  be- 
hind the  Susquehannah,  congress  was  divided  into 
two  factions,  which,  in  spite  of  their  distinction  of 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  37 

south  and  east,  did  not  the  less  occasion  a  separation 
between  members  of  the  same  state.  The  deputies 
substituted  their  private  intrigues  for  the  wishes  of 
the  nation.  Several  impartial  men  had  retired  ; 
several  states  had  but  one  representative,  and  in 
some  cases  not  even  one.  Party  spirit  was  so 
strong,  that  three  years  afterwards  congress  still  felt 
the  effects  of  it.  Any  great  event,  however,  would 
awaken  their  patriotism  ;  and  when  Burgoyne  de- 
clared that  his  treaty  had  been  broken,  means  were 
found  to  stop  the  departure  of  his  troops,  which 
everything,  even  the  few  provisions  for  the  trans- 
ports, had  foolishly  betrayed.  But  all  these  di- 
visions failed  to  produce  the  greatest  of  calamities — 
the  loss  of  the  only  man  capable  of  conducting 
the  revolution. 

Gates  was  at  Yorktown,  where  he  inspired  re- 
spect by  his  manners,  promises,  and  European  ac- 
quirements. Amongst  the  deputies  who  united 
themselves  to  him,  may  be  numbered  the  Lees, 
Virginians,  enemies  of  Washington,  and  the  two 
Adams.  Mifflin,  quarter-master-general,  aided  him 
with  his  talents  and  brilliant  eloquence.  They  re- 
quired a  name  to  bring  forward  in  the  plot,  and 
they  selected  Conway,  who  fancied  himself  the 
chief  of  a  party.  To  praise  Gates,  with  a  certain 
portion  of  the  continent  and  the  troops,  was  a  pre- 
text for  speaking  of  themselves.  The  people  attach 
themselves  to  prosperous  generals,  and  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  had  been  unsuccessful.  His  own 
character  inspired  respect  and  affection;  but  Greene, 
Hamilton,  Knox,  his  best  friends,  were  sadly  de- 
famed. The  Tories  fomented  these  dissensions. 
The  presidency  of  the  war-office,  which  had  been 
created  for  Gates,  restricted  the  power  of  the  gene- 
ral. This  was  not  the  only  inconvenience  ;  a  com- 


38  MEMOIRS    OP    MYSELF 

mittee  from  congress  arrived  at  the  camp,  and  the 
attack  of  Philadelphia  was  daringly  proposed.  The 
most  shrewd  people  did  not  believe  that  Gates  was 
the  real  object  of  this  intrigue.  Though  a  good  officer, 
he  had  not  the  power  to  assert  himself.  He  would 
have  given  place  to  the  famous  General  Lee,  then  a 
prisoner  of  the  English,  whose  first  care  would  have 
been  to  have  made  over  to  them  his  friends  and  all 
America. 

Attached,  to  the  general,  and  still  more  so  to  the 
cause,  M.  de  Lafayette  did  not  hesitate  for  a  mo- 
ment ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  caresses  of  one  party, 
he  remained  faithful  to  the  other,  whose  ruin 
seemed  then  impending.  He  saw  and  corresponded 
frequently  with  the  general,  and  often  discussed 
with  him  his  own  private  situation,  and  the  effect 
that  various  meliorations  in  the  army  might  pro- 
duce. Having  sent  for  his  wife  to  the  camp,  the 
general  preserved  in  his  deportment  the  noble  com- 
posure which  belongs  to  a  strong  and  virtuous  mind. 
"  I  have  not  sought  for  this  place,"  said  he  to  M.  de 
Lafayette ;  "  if  I  am  displeasing  to  the  nation,  I 
will  retire;  but  until  then  I  will  oppose  all  intrigues." 

(1778.)  The  22nd  of  January,  congress  resolved 
that  Canada  should  be  entered,  and  the  choice  fell 
upon  M.  de  Lafayette.  The  Generals  Conway  and 
Stark  were  placed  under  him.  Hoping  to  intoxi- 
cate and  govern  so  young  a  commander,  the  war- 
office,  without  consulting  the  commander-in-chief, 
wrote  to  him  to  go  and  await  his  further  instruc- 
tions at  Albany.*  But  after  having  won  over  by 
his  arguments  the  committee  which  congress  had 
sent  to  the  camp,  M.  de  Lafayette  hastened  to 
Yorktown,  and  declared  there  "  that  he  required 

*  See  fragment  C,  at  the  end  of  the  Memoirs. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  39 

circumstantial  orders,  a  statement  of  the  means  to 
be  employed,  the  certainty  of  not  deceiving  the 
Canadians,  an  augmentation  of  generals,  and  rank 
for  several  Frenchmen,  fully  impressed,"  he  added, 
"with  the  various  duties  and  advantages  they  derived 
from  their  name  ;  but  the  first  condition  he  de- 
manded was,  not  to  be  made,  like  Gates,  indepen- 
dent of  General  Washington."  At  Gates'  own  house 
he  braved  the  whole  party,  and  threw  them  into  con- 
fusion by  making  them  drink  the  health  of  their 
general.*  In  congress  he  was  supported  by  Presi- 
dent Laurens,  and  he  obtained  all  that  he  de- 
manded. His  instructions  from  the  war-office  pro- 
mised that  2500  men  should  be  assembled  at 
Albany,  and  a  large  corps  of  militia  at  Coos  ;  that 
he  should  have  two  millions  in  paper  money,  some 
hard  specie,  and  all  means  supplied  for  crossing 
lake  Champlain  upon  the  ice,  whence,  after  having 
burnt  the  English  flotilla,  he  was  to  proceed  to  Mon- 
treal, and  act  there  as  circumstances  might  require. 
Repassing  then,  not  without  some  danger,  the 
Susquehannah,  which  was  filled  with  floating  masses 
of  ice,  M.  de  Lafayette  set  out  for  Albany,  and,  in 
spite  of  the  obstacles  offered  by  ice  and  snow, 
rapidly  traversed  an  extent  of  four  hundred  miles. 
Whilst  travelling  thus  on  horseback,  he  became 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  simplicity  and  purity 
of  the  inhabitants,  their  patriarchal  mode  of  life, 
and  their  republican  ideas.  Devoted  to  their  house- 

*  After  having  thus  declared  himself,  he  wrote  to  congress 
that  "  he  could  only  accept  the  command  on  condition  of  re- 
maining subordinate  to  General  Washington,  of  being  but  con- 
sidered as  an  officer  detached  from  him,  and  of  addressing  all 
'  his  letters  to  him,  of  which  those  received  by  congress  would  be 
but  duplicates."  These  requests,  and  all  the  others  he  made,, 
were  granted.  (Manuscript  No.  2.) 


40  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

hold  cares,  the  women  are  happy,  and  afford  to 
their  husbands  the  calmest  and  truest  felicity.  To 
unmarried  women  alone  is  love  spoken  of,  and 
their  modesty  enhances  the  charm  of  their  innocent 
coquetry.  In  the  chance  marriages  which  take 
place  in  Paris,  the  fidelity  of  the  wife  is  often  re- 
pugnant to  the  voice  of  nature  and  of  reason,  one 
might  almost  say  to  the  principles  of  justice.  In 
America,  a  girl  marries  her  lover,  and  it  would  he 
like  having  two  lovers  at  the  same  time  if  she  were 
to  break  that  valid  agreement ;  because  both  parties 
know  equally  how  and  in  what  manner  they  are 
bound  to  each  other.  In  the  bosom  of  their  own 
families,  the  men  occupy  themselves  with  their  pri- 
vate affairs,  or  assemble  together  to  regulate  those  of 
the  state.  They  talk  politics  over  their  glasses,  and 
become  animated  by  patriotism  rather  than  strong 
liquor.  Whilst  the  children  shed  tears  at  the  name 
of  Tory,  the  old  men  sent  up  prayers  to  Heaven  that 
they  might  be  permitted  to  see  the  end  of  that  war. 
During  his  repeated  and  rapid  journeys,  M.  de 
Lafayette,  mixing  with  all  classes  of  society,  was  not 
wholly  useless  to  the  good  cause,  to  the  interest  of 
the  French,  and  to  the  party  of  General  Wash- 
ington. 

M.  de  Lafayette,  on  arriving  at  Albany,  experi- 
enced some  disappointments.  Instead  of  2500 
men,  there  were  not  1200.  Stark's  militia  had  not 
even  received  a  summons.  Clothes,  provisions, 
magazines,  sledges,  all  were  insufficient  for  that 
glacial  expedition.  By  making  better  preparations, 
and  appointing  the  general  earlier,  success  would 
probably  have  been  secured.  Several  Canadians 
began  to  make  a  movement,  and  from  that  moment 
they  testified  great  interest  in  M.  de  Lafayette  ;  but 
two  months  were  requisite  to  collect  alf  that  was 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  41 

necessary,  and  towards  the  middle  of  March  the 
lakes  begin  to  thaw.  M.  de  Lafayette,  general,  at 
twenty  years  of  age,  of  a  small  army,  charged  with 
an  important  and  very  difficult  operation,  autho- 
rized by  the  orders  of  congress,  animated  by  the 
expectations  now  felt  in  America,  and  which,  he 
knew,  would  ere  long  be  felt  likewise  in  Europe, 
had  many  motives  for  becoming  adventurous  ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  his  resources  were  slender,  the 
time  allowed  him  was  short,  the  enemy  was  in 
a  good  position,  and  Lieutenant- General  Carleton 
was  preparing  for  him  another  Saratoga.  Forced 
to  take  a  decisive  step  immediately,  he  wrote  a  calm 
letter  to  congress,  and  with  a  heavy  sigh  abandoned 
the  enterprise.  At  the  same  period,  congress,  be- 
coming a  little  less  confident,  despatched  to  him  some 
wavering  counsels,  which,  arriving  too  late,  only 
served  to  compromise  the  general  and  justify  the 
government.  But  the  prudence  of  M.  de  Lafayette 
was  at  length  rewarded  by  the  approbation  of  con- 
gress and  of  the  nation ;  and,  until  the  opening  of 
the  campaign,  he  continued  to  command  that  de- 
partment.* He  found  there  that  intrepid  Arnold, 
who  was  still  detained  by  his  wound,  and  who  since 


*  He  had  the  discretion  to  renounce  an  expedition  which, 
undertaken  without  proper  means,  would  have  produced  fatal 
effects  upon  the  whole  northern  part  of  the  United  States.  At 
Georgetown,  the  present  residence  of  congress,  some  anxiety 
was  experienced,  because  they  feared  that  M.  de  Lafayette  had 
trusted  himself  upon  the  lakes  in  the  season  of  the  year  when 
the  ice  begins  to  melt.  The  counter  orders  that  were  sent  him 
would  have  arrived  too  late ;  and  when  it  became  known  that 
he  had  himself  renounced  the  expedition,  he  received  the 
thanks  of  congress  and  of  the  minister  of  war,  General  Gates, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  line  of  conduct  Lafayette  had  pursued 
during  his  quarrel  with  General  Washington,  had  always  ex- 
pressed great  respect  and  esteem  for  him.  (Manuscript  No.  1.) 


42  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

;  he  became  intimately  acquainted  with 

Schuyler,  the  predecessor  of  Gates,  in  disgrace  as 
well  as  Saint-Clair,  but  who  continued  useful  to  the 
cause  from  the  superiority  of  his  talents,  his  im- 
portance in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  the  confi- 
dence he  enjoyed  in  New  York,  of  which  state  he 
was  a  citizen. 

If  Canada  did  not  herself  send  an  offensive  army, 
all  the  savages  were  paid  and  protected  by  the  Eng- 
lish party :  the  Hurons  and  Iroquois  committed 
their  devastations  on  that  whole  frontier.  Some 
baubles  or  a  barrel  of  rum  were  sufficient  to  make 
them  seize  the  tomahawk ;  they  then  rushed  upon 
villages,  burnt  houses,  destroyed  harvests,  mas- 
sacred all,  without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  and  received 
on  their  return  the  price  of  each  bloody  scalp  they 
could  exhibit.  A  young  American  girl,  whom  her 
lover,  an  English  officer,  was  expecting,  that  their 
marriage  might  take  place,  was  killed  by  the  very 
savages  he  had  sent  to  escort  her.  Two  Americans 
were  actually  eaten  up  by  the  Senecas,  and  a  colo- 
nel of  the  English  army  was  a  guest  at  that  horrible 
repast.  "  It  is  thus,"  was  often  said  to  the  savages, 
whilst  drinking  with  them  at  the  councils,  "it  is 
thus  we  must  drink  the  blood  of  rebels."  M.  de 
Lafayette,  conscious  that  he  could  not  protect  such 
an  immense  extent  of  frontier,  prepared  quarters  in 
every  direction,  and  announced  the  speedy  arrival 
of  troops  in  all  the  counties ;  and  this  stratagem 
stopped  the  depredations  of  the  savages,  who  do  not 
usually  attack  those  places  in  which  they  expect  to 
find  much  resistance.  But  he  kept  the  Albany 
troops  close  together,  satisfied  them  a  little  as  to 
payment,  provisioned  the  forts,  which  had  been 
hitherto  neglected,  and  arrested  a  plot  of  which  the 
particulars  have  never  been  precisely  known.  He 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR  .1780.  43 

found  in  George  Clinton,  governor  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  a  firm  and  an  enlightened  co-operator. 

Soon  after,  Schuyler  and  Duane,  who  were  charged 
with  the  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  savages,  ap- 
pointed a  general  assembly  at  Johnson's  Town,  upon 
the  Mohawk  river.  Recalling  to  them  their  former 
attachment  to  the  French,  M.  de  Lafayette  repaired 
thither  in  a  sledge  to  shew  himself  in  person  to 
those  nations  whom  the  English  had  endeavoured  to 
prejudice  against  him.  Five  hundred  men,  women, 
and  children,  covered  with  various  coloured  paints 
and  feathers,  with  their  ears  cut  open,  their  noses 
ornamented  with  rings,  and  their  half-naked  bodies 
marked  with  different  figures,  were  present  at  the 
councils.  Their  old  men,  whilst  smoking,  talked 
politics  extremely  well.  Their  object  seemed  to  be 
to  promote  a  balance  of  power  ;  if  the  intoxication 
of  rum,  as  that  of  ambition  in  Europe,  had  not 
often  turned  them  aside  from  it.  M.  de  Lafayette, 
adopted  by  them,  received  the  name  of  Kayewla, 
which  belonged  formerly  to  one  of  their  war- 
riors ;  and  under  this  name  he  is  well  known  to 
all  the  savage  tribes.  Some  louis  which  he  distri- 
buted under  the  form  of  medals,  and  some  stuffs 
from  the  state  of  New  York,  produced  but  little 
effect  when  compared  to  the  presents  they  had  re- 
ceived from  England.  A  treaty  was  entered  into, 
which  some  of  them  rigidly  observed;  and  the 
course  of  the  evil  was  at  least  arrested  for  the  pre- 
sent. The  Oneidas  and  Tuscaroras,  the  only  real 
friends  the  Americans  possessed,  requested  to  have 
a  fort;  and  M.  de  Lafayette  left  them  M.  de  Gouvion, 
a  French  officer,  whose  talents  and  virtues  rendered 
him  of  great  value  to  the  cause.  Whenever  savages 
were  required  at  the  army,  whenever  there  was  any 
dealings  with  these  tribes,  recourse  was  always  had 


44  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

to  the  credit  of  M.  de  Lafayette,  whose  necklaces 
and  words  were  equally  respected. 

On  his  return,  he  found  that  the  form  of  a  new 
oath  had  been  established,  which  each  civil  and 
military  officer  was  to  take,  according  to  his  own 
religious  belief.  An  acknowledgment  of  the  indepen- 
dence, liberty,  and  sovereignty  of  the  United  States  ; 
an  eternal  renunciation  of  George  III.,  his  successors, 
and  heirs,  and  every  King  of  England ;  a  promise  to 
defend  the  said  states  against  the  said  George  III.; 
this  was  the  purport  of  the  oath  administered 
by  him  to  the  whole  northern  department.*  At 
the  approach  of  spring,  M.  de  Lafayette  was 
recalled  to  the  south.  The  affairs  of  General 
Washington  were  already  in  a  more  flourishing 
condition.  Several  of  the  states  recommended 
him  to  their  deputies ;  and  from  only  suspecting 
one  of  them  of  being  unfavourable  to  him,  the  New 
York  assembly  wished  to  recal  one  of  their  dele- 
gates. Congress  had  been  a  little  recruited,  and 
they  were  thinking  of  recruiting  the  army.  At 
Valley-Forge,  M.  de  Lafayette  found  some  difficulty, 
not  from  the  substance,  but  merely  from  the  form 
of  the  oath ;  but  that  difficulty  was  easily  obviated. 
A  short  time  after,  Simeon  Deane  arrived  with  the 
treaty  of  commerce  between  France  and  the  United 
States. 

By  quitting  France  in  so  public  a  manner,  M.  de 
Lafayette  had  served  the  cause  of  the  revolution. 
One  portion  of  society  was  anxious  for  his  success, 
and  the  attention  of  the  other  had  become,  to 

*  It  is  singular  that  the  oath  of  renunciation  to  Great  Britain 
and  her  king,  which  every  one  employed  in  the  continental  service 
was  obliged  to  take  at  that  time,  should  have  been  administered 
in  one  half  of  the  United  States  by  a  Frenchman  of  twenty 
years  of  age.  (Manuscript  No.  2.) 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  45 

say  the  least,  somewhat  occupied  in  the  struggle.  If 
a  spirit  of  emulation  made  those  connected  with  the 
court  desirous  of  war,  the  rest  of  the  nation  sup- 
ported the  young  rebel,  and  followed  with  interest 
all  his  movements ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  the 
rupture  that  ensued  was  truly  a  national  one. 
Some  circumstances  relating  to  his  departure  hav- 
ing displeased  the  court  of  London,  M.  de  La- 
fayette omitted  nothing  that  could  draw  more 
closely  together  the  nations  whose  union  he  so 
ardently  desired.  The  incredible  prejudices  of  the 
Americans  had  been  augmented  by  the  conduct  of 
the  first  Frenchmen  who  had  joined  them.  These 
men  gradually  disappeared,  and  all  those  who  re- 
mained were  remarkable  for  talents,  or  at  least  for 
probity.  They  became  the  friends  of  M.  de  La- 
fayette, who  sincerely  sought  out  all  the  national 
prejudices  of  the  Americans  against  his  countrymen 
for  the  purpose  of  overcoming  them.  Love  and 
respect  for  the  name  of  Frenchman  animated  his 
letters  and  speeches,  and  he  wished  the  affection 
that  was  granted  to  him  individually  to  become 
completely  national.  On  the  other  side,  when 
writing  to  Europe,  he  denied  the  reports  made  by 
discontented  adventurers,  by  good  officers  who  were 
piqued  at  not  having  been  employed,  and  by  those 
men  who,  serving  themselves  in  the  army,  wished 
to  be  witty  or  amusing  by  the  political  contrasts 
they  described  in  their  letters.  But,  without  giving 
a  circumstantial  account  of  what  private  influence 
achieved,  it  is  certain  that  enthusiasm  for  the  cause, 
and  esteem  for  its  defenders,  had  electrified  all 
France,  and  that  the  affair  of  Saratoga  decided  the 
ministerial  commotion.  Bills  of  conciliation  passed 
in  the  English  house  of  parliament,  and  five  com- 
missioners were  sent  to  offer  far  more  than  had 


46  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

been  demanded  until  then.  No  longer  waiting  to 
see  how  things  would  turn  out,  M.  de  Maurepas 
yielded  to  the  public  wish,  and  what  his  luminous 
mind  had  projected,  the  more  unchanging  disposition 
of  M.  de  Vergennes  put  in  execution.  A  treaty  was 
generously  entered  into  with  Franklin,  Deane,  and 
Arthur  Lee,  and  that  treaty  was  announced  with 
more  confidence  than  had  been  for  some  time  dis- 
played. But  the  war  was  not  sufficiently  foreseen,  or 
at  least  sufficient  preparations  were  not  made.  The 
most  singular  fact  is,  that  at  the  very  period  when  the 
firm  resistance  of  the  court  of  France  had  guided  the 
conduct  of  two  courts,  America  had  fallen  herself 
into  such  a  state  of  weakness,  that  she  was  on  the 
very  brink  of  ruin.  The  2nd  of  May,  the  army  made 
a  bonfire,  and  M.  de  Lafayette,  ornamented  with 
a  white  scarf,  proceeded  to  the  spot,  accompanied 
by  all  the  French.  Since  the  arrival  of  the  conci- 
liatory bills,  he  had  never  ceased  writing  against  the 
commission,  and  against  every  commissioner.  The 
advances  of  these  men  were  ill-received  by  congress ; 
and,  foreseeing  a  French  co-operation,  the  enemy 
began  to  think  of  quitting  Philadelphia. 

General  Washington  sent  two  thousand  chosen 
men  across  the  Schuylkill  to  collect  intelligence. 
M.  de  Lafayette,  their  commander,  repaired,  the 
18th  of  May,  to  Barren  Hill,  eleven  miles  from  the 
two  armies.  On  a  good  elevation,  his  right  resting 
upon  some  rocks  and  the  river,  on  his  left  some 
excellent  stone  houses  and  a  small  wood,  his  front 
sustained  by  five  pieces  of  cannon,  and  with  roads 
in  his  rear,  such  was  the  position  of  M.  de  La- 
fayette. An  hundred  dragoons  whom  he  was  ex- 
pecting did  not  arrive  in  sufficient  time ;  but  he 
stationed  six  hundred  militia  on  his  left  at  White  - 
marsh,  and  their  general,  Porter,  made  himself  an- 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  47 

swerable  for  those  roads.  On  the  evening  of  the 
19th,  Howe,  who  had  just  been  recalled,  and  Clin- 
ton, who  replaced  him,  sent  out  a  detachment  01 
seven  thousand  men,  with  fourteen  pieces  of  cannon, 
under  General  Grant.  Passing  behind  the  inunda- 
tion, that  corps  proceeded  on  the  road  to  Francfort, 
and,  by  a  circuitous  movement,  fell  into  that  of 
Whitemarsh,  from  which  the  militia  had  just  thought 
proper  to  retire.  On  the  morning  of  the  20th,  M.  de 
Lafayette  was  conversing  with  a  young  lady,  who, 
on  pretence  of  seeing  her  relations,  to  oblige  him 
had  consented  to  go  to  Philadelphia,  when  he  was 
informed  that  the  red  dragoons  were  at  Whitemarsh. 
It  was  the  uniform  of  those  he  was  expecting ;  he 
had  placed  Porter  there ;  he  had  promised  to  pay 
him  a  visit,  and  intended  that  very  evening  to  carry 
thither  his  detachment.  But,  for  greater  security, 
he  examined  carefully  into  the  truth  of  the  report; 
and,  ascertaining  that  a  column  was  marching  on 
the  left,  he  changed  his  front,  and  covered  it  with  the 
houses,  the  wood,  and  a  small  churchyard.  Scarcely 
was  that  movement  ended,  when  he  found  himselr 
cut  off  by  Grant  on  the  Swedes'  Ford  road  in  his  rear. 
It  was  in  the  presence  of  the  troops  that  he  first 
heard  the  cry  that  he  was  surrounded,  and  he  was 
forced  to  smile  at  the  unpleasant  intelligence.  Several 
officers,  whom  he  had  despatched  to  Valley-Forge, 
declared  that  they  had  been  unable  to  find  a  passage. 
Every  moment  was  precious,  and  M.  de  Lafayette 
proceeded  on  the  road  of  Matson  Ford,  to  which 
the  enemy  was  nearer  than  himself.  General  Poor 
commanded  his  advance  guard ;  and  to  him  he  sent 
Gimat,  his  own  confidential  aide-de-camp.  He 
placed  himself  as  the  rear  guard,  and  marched  on 
with  rapidity,  but  without  precipitation.  Grant  had 
possession  of  the  heights,  and  M.  de  Lafayette's  road 
lay  immediately  beneath  them.  His  apparent  com- 


48  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

posure  deceived  his  adversary ;  and  perceiving  tint 
he  was  reconnoitring  him,  he  presented  to  him,  from 
among  the  trees  and  behind  curtains,  false  heads  of 
columns.  The  time  that  Grant  occupied  in  recon- 
noitring, and  discovering  an  imaginary  ambuscade, 
M.  de  Lafayette  employed  in  regaining  the  fore- 
ground ;  at  length  he  passed  by  Grant's  column. 
He  managed  to  impose  likewise  on  Grey's  column, 
which  followed  him ;  and  when  the  third  division, 
under  Howe  and  Clinton,  reached  Barren  Hill,  the 
Americans  had  already  passed  over  Matson  Ford. 
Forming  themselves  on  the  opposite  shore,  they 
awaited  the  enemy,  who  dared  not  attack  them.  Ad- 
vancing on  the  ground,  Howe  was  astonished  at  find- 
ing only  one  red  line :  the  generals  quarrelled  ;  and 
although  the  commander  in  chief  had  invited  some 
ladies  to  sup  with  M.  de  Lafayette,  although  the 
admiral,  (Howe's  brother,)  knowing  him  to  be  sur- 
rounded, had  prepared  a  frigate  for  him,  the  whole 
army,  (of  which  half  had  made  a  march  of  forty 
miles,)  returned,  much  fatigued,  without  having  taken 
a  single  man.  It  was  then  that  fifty  savages,  friends 
of  the  Americans,  encountered  fifty  English  dra- 
goons ;  and  the  cries  of  war  on  one  side,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  cavalry  on  the  other,  surprised 
the  parties  so  much  that  they  both  fled,  with  equal 
speed.  The  alarm  had  been  likewise  great  at  Valley- 
Forge  ;  and  the  report  of  three  pieces  of  cannon  that 
were  there  fired  appeared  an  additional  mystery  to 
Grant.  The  aim  of  the  general  being  attained,  the  de- 
tachment returned  to  its  quarters,  and  M.  de  Lafay- 
ette was  well  received  by  the  general  and  army.* 

An  exchange  of  prisoners  had  long  been  talked 
of,  and  the  cruelty  of  the  English  rendered  this 
measure  more  necessary.  Cooped  up  in  a  vessel  at 

*  See,  after  these  Memoirs,  fragment  D. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  49 

New  York,  and  breathing  a  most  noxious  atmospher  % 
the  American  prisoners  suffered  all  that  gross  inso- 
lence could  add  to  famine,  dirt,  disease,  and  complete 
neglect.  Their  food  was,  to  say  the  least,  unwhole- 
some. The  officers,  often  confounded  with  their 
soldiers,  appealed  to  former  capitulations  and  to  the 
right  of  nations ;  but  they  were  only  answered  by 
fresh  outrages.  When  one  victim  sunk  beneath 
such  treatment,  "  Tis  well,"  was  said  to  the  sur- 
vivors ;  "  there  is  one  rebel  less."  Acts  of  retalia- 
tion had  been  but  rarely  practised  by  the  Ame- 
ricans ;  and  the  English,  like  other  tyrants,  mistook 
their  mildness  and  generosity  for  timidity.  Five 
hundred  Americans,  in  a  half-dying  state,  had  been 
carried  to  the  sea-shore,  where  the  greatest  number 
of  them  soon  expired,  and  the  general  very  properly 
refused  to  reckon  them  in  exchange  for  his  own  pri- 
soners of  war.  Another  obstacle  to  the  cartel  was 
the  capture  of  Lee,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner  in 
1776  ;  the  congress  insisted  on  his  liberation,  and, 
after  much  debating  on  both  sides,  he  was  at  length 
exchanged  for  General  Prescot.  Lee,  who  had  been 
formerly  a  colonel  in  the  English  service,  a  general 
in  Poland,  and  a  fellow-soldier  of  the  Russians  and 
Portuguese,  was  well  acquainted  with  all  countries, 
all  services,  and  several  languages.  His  features 
were  plain,  his  turn  of  mind  caustic,  his  feelings 
ambitious  and  avaricious,  his  temper  uncomplying, 
and  his  whole  appearance  singular  and  unprepos- 
sessing. A  temporary  fit  of  generosity  had  induced 
him  to  quit  the  English  service,  and  the  Americans, 
at  that  period,  listened  to  him  as  to  an  oracle.  In 
his  heart  he  detested  the  general,  and  felt  a  sincere 
affection  for  himself  alone  ;  but,  in  1776,  his  advice 
nad  undoubtedly  saved  both  the  general  and  the 
army.  He  made  many  advances  to  M.  de  Lafayette, 
VOL.  i.  E 


50  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

but  the  one  was  a  violent  Englishman,  and  the  other 
an  enthusiastic  frenchman,  and  their  intimacy  was 
often  interrupted  by  their  differences  of  opinion. 
Gates,  whose  great  projects  had  been  frustrated, 
was  at  that  time  commanding  a  corps  at  White 
Plains,  upon  the  left  side  of  the  Hudson,  opposite 
to  the  island  of  New  York.  Conway  had  retired 
from  service,  and  the  place  of  inspector,  which  had 
been  created  for  him,  was  given  to  Steuben,  an  old 
Prussian,  with  moderate  talents,  but  methodical 
habits,  who  organized  the  army  and  perfected  their 
tactics.  The  congress  received  at  that  time  some 
conciliatory  epistles,  and  the  sentiments  their  an- 
swers breathed,  like  all  the  other  deliberations  of 
that  assembly,  were  nobly  felt,  and  nobly  expressed. 
Lord  Carlisle  was  president  of  the  commission,  and 
Lord  Howe,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  Mr.  Eden,  and  Go- 
vernor Johnstone  were  its  members.  The  last 
named  person  wrote  to  some  friends,  who  published 
his  letters. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  Philadelphia  was  evacuated. 
The  invalids,  magazines,  and  heavy  ammunition 
of  the  British  were  embarked  with  the  general ;  the 
commissioners  of  conciliation  alone  remained  be- 
hind. Passing  over  to  Gloucester,  the  army  marched, 
in  two  columns,  each  consisting  of  seven  thousand 
men,  commanded  by  Clinton  and  Knyp'hausen,  to- 
wards New  York.  The  army  of  the  United  States, 
which  was  of  nearly  equal  force,  directed  itself  from 
Valley  Forge  to  Coryell's  Ferry,  and  from  thence  to 
King's  Town,  within  a  march  of  the  enemy  ;  it  was 
thus  left  at  the  option  of  the  Americans,  either  to 
follow  on  their  track,  or  to  repair  to  White  Plains. 
In  a  council  held  on  this  subject,  Lee  very  eloquently 
endeavoured  to  prove  that  it  was  necessary  to  erect 
a  bridge  of  gold  for  the  enemy ;  that  while  on  the 


UNTIL   THE    YEAR    1780.  51 

very  point  of  forming  an  alliance  with  them,  every 
thing  ought  not  to  be  placed  at  hazard  ;  that  the 
English  army  had  never  been  so  excellent  and  so 
well  disciplined ;  he  declared  himself  to  be  for 
White  Plains :  his  speech  influenced  the  opinion  of 
Lord  Stirling  and  of  the  brigadiers-general.  M.  de 
Lafayette,  placed  on  the  other  side,  spoke  late,  and 
asserted  that  it  would  be  disgraceful  for  the  chiefs, 
and  humiliating  for  the  troops,  to  allow  the  enemy 
to  traverse  the  Jerseys  tranquilly  ;  that,  without 
running  any  improper  risk,  the  rear  guard  might 
be  attacked  ;  that  it  was  necessary  to  follow  the 
English,  manoeuvre  with  prudence,  take  advantage 
of  a  temporary  separation,  and,  in  short,  seize  the 
most  favourable  opportunities  and  situations.  This 
advice  was  approved  by  many  of  the  council,  and 
above  all  by  M.  du  Portail,  chief  of  the  engineers, 
and  a  very  distinguished  officer.  The  majority  were, 
however,  in  favour  of  Lee  ;  but  M.  de  Lafayette 
spoke  again  to  the  general  on  this  subject  in  the 
evening,  and  was  seconded  by  Hamilton,  and  by 
Greene,  who  had  been  lately  named  quarter-master 
in  place  of  Mifflin.  Several  of  the  general  officers 
changed  their  opinion ;  and  the  troops  having  already 
begun  their  march,  they  were  halted,  in  order  to  form 
a  detachment.  When  united,  there  were  3,000  con- 
tinentalists  and  1,200  militia;  the  command  fell 
to  the  share  of  Lee,  but,  by  the  express  desire  of  the 
general,  M.  de  Lafayette  succeeded  in  obtaining  it. 
Everything  was  going  on  extremely  well,  when  Lee 
changed  his  mind,  and  chose  to  command  the  troops 
himself;  having  again  yielded  this  point,  he  re- 
changed  once  more  ;  and  as  the  general  wished  him 
to  adhere  to  his  first  decision — "  It  is  my  fortune  and 
honour,"  said  Lee,  to  M.  de  Lafayette,  "  that  I 
place  in  your  hands  ;  you  are  too  generous  to  cause 

E2 


52  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

the  loss  of  both!"  This  tone  succeeded  better, 
and  M.  de  Lafayette  promised  to  ask  for  him  the 
next  day.  The  enemy,  unfortunately,  continued 
their  march  ;  M.  de  Lafayette  was  delayed  by  want 
of  provisions  ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  26th,  at  a 
quarter  to  twelve  at  night,  that  he  could  ask  for 
Lee,  who  was  sent  with  a  detachment  of  one  thou- 
sand men  to  Englishtown,  on  the  left  side  of  the 
enemy.  The  first  corps  had  advanced  upon  their 
right ;  and  M.  de  Lafayette,  by  Lee's  especial  order, 
joined  him  at  midday,  within  reach  of  the  enemy, 
from  whom  he  fortunately  succeeded  in  concealing 
this  movement.  The  two  columns  of  the  English 
army  had  united  together  at  Monmouth  Court- 
house, from  whence  they  departed  on  the  morning 
of  the  28th.  Whilst  following  them,  the  Ameri- 
cans marched  rapidly  through  the  woods  of  Freehold ; 
and  at  eight  o'clock  the  enemy's  rear-guard  was 
still  in  the  vicinity  of  the  court-house.  If  Lee  had 
continued  the  direction  he  was  then  taking,  he 
would  have  placed  himself  in  an  excellent  position, 
especially  as  the  American  army  was  advancing  on 
the  road  to  Freehold ;  but  the  head  of  his  column 
quitted  the  wood,  into  which  it  was  again  forced  to 
retreat  by  the  enemy's  cannon.  Lee  then  addressing 
himself  to  M.  de  Lafayette,  told  him  to  cross  the 
plain,  and  attack  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy ;  and 
whilst  this  manoeuvre,  which  exposed  them  to  the  fire 
of  the  English  artillery,  was  executing,  he  sent  him 
an  order  to  fall  back  into  the  village  in  which  he 
had  placed  the  rest  of  the  troops.  From  thence  he 
drew  back  still  farther,  and,  changing  his  attack  into 
a  retreat,  he  exposed  himself  to  be  driven  back  by 
Lord  Cornwallis,  and  subsequently  by  the  whole 
English  army,  to  whom  good  space  of  time  had 
been  allowed  to  fonn  themselves  in  proper  order. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  53 

At  the  first  retrograde  movement,  M.  de  Lafayette 
sent  information  to  the  general  of  what  was  pass- 
ing, who,  arriving  speedily  on  the  spot,  found  the 
troops  retreating  in  confusion.  "  You  know,"  said 
Lee,  "  that  all  this  was  against  my  advice."  The 
general,  sending  Lee  to  the  rear,*  himself  formed 
seven  or  eight  hundred  men,  and  stationed  them, 
with  some  cannon,  upon  a  chosen  spot,  and  M.  de 
Lafayette  undertook  to  retard  the  enemy's  march. 
The  English  dragoons  made  their  first  charge  upon 
a  small  morass  which  sheltered  him  :  the  infantry 
marched  round  to  attack  him  on  the  other  side, 
but  he  had  sufficient  time  to  retire;  and  the  army 
had  by  this  time  placed  itself  upon  a  height,  where 
he  took  the  command  of  the  second  line.  A  can- 
nonade was  kept  up  on  both  sides  during  the 
whole  day,  and  two  attacks  of  the  enemy  were 
repulsed.  A  battery,  placed  on  their  left,  obliged 
them  to  change  their  position,  and,  when  they 
presented  their  flank,  the  general  attacked  them 
and  forced  them  to  retreat,  until  darkness  in- 
terrupted all  operations.  The  American  troops 
continued  to  gain  ground,  and  Clinton  retired 
during  the  night,  leaving  behind  him  more  than 
three  hundred  dead  and  many  wounded.  The 
heat  was  so  intense  that  the  soldiers  fell  dead  with- 

*  The  two  battalions  formed  to  arrest  the  enemy's  march 
were  placed  by  General  Washington  himself.  When,  after 
having  expressed  his  own  feelings  of  dissatisfaction,  he  wished 
to  give  himself  time  to  form  his  army  on  the  heights  behind 
the  passage,  he  left  there  Major-Gen eral  Lafayette,  Brigadier- 
General  Knox,  commanding  the  artillery,  and  some  officers  of 
his  staff.  The  colonels  were  good  officers,  and  the  battalions 
conducted  themselves  perfectly  well.  When  the  army  was  ranged 
in  order  of  battle,  General  Greene  commanded  the  right  of 
the  first  line,  Lord  Stirling  the  left,  and  Lafayette  the  second 
line.  (Manuscript  No.  2.) 


54  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

out  having  received  a  single  wound,  and  the  field 
of  battle  soon  became  untenable.  During  this  affair, 
which  ended  so  well,  although  begun  so  ill,  General 
Washington  appeared  to  arrest  fortune  by  one 
glance,  and  his  presence  of  mind,  valour,  and  deci- 
sion of  character,  were  never  displayed  to  greater 
advantage  than  at  that  moment.*  Wayne  distin- 
guished himself ;  Greene  and  the  brave  Stirling  led 
forward  the  first  line  in  the  ablest  manner.  From 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  night  M.  de  La- 
fayette was  momentarily  obliged  to  change  his  oc- 
cupations. The  general  and  he  passed  the  night 
lying  on  the  same  mantle,  talking  over  the  conduct 
of  Lee,  who  wrote  the  next  morning  a  very  improper 
letter,  and  was  placed  under  arrest.  He  was  after- 
wards suspended  by  a  council  of  war,  quitted  the 
service,  and  was  not  regretted  by  the  army.  Clin- 
ton having  retreated  towards  the  hollows  of  Shrews- 
bury, the  general  contented  himself  with  the  suc- 
cess already  gained,  and  marched  towards  White 
Plains  ;  the  second  line,  under  M.  de  Lafayette, 
forming  the  right  column.  The  4th  of  July,  being 
the  anniversary  of  the  declaration  of  independence, 
was  celebrated  at  Brunswick  ;  and  a  few  days  after 
the  army  learnt  that  the  Count  d'Estaing  was  before 
New  York.f 

Twelve  French  vessels,  which  sailed  from  Toulon, 
had  been  three  months  in  reaching  the  Delaware : 

*  General  Washington  was  never  greater  in  battle  than  in 
this  action.  His  presence  stopped  the  retreat;  his  arrange- 
ments secured  the  victory.  His  graceful  bearing  on  horse- 
back, his  calm  aod  dignified  deportment,  which  still  retained 
some  trace  of  the  displeasure  he  had  experienced  in  the  morn- 
ing, were  all  calculated  to  excite  the  highest  degree  of  enthu- 
siasm. (Manuscript  No.  2.) 

f  See,  after  these  Memoirs,  the  fragment  E. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  55 

they  arrived  three  days  after  the  departure  of  the 
English  fleet,  and,  following  it  to  New  York,  M. 
d'Estaing  anchored  at  Sandy-hook,  outside  the  bar. 
He  offered  immense  sums  to  be  conveyed  across 
that  bar,  but  the  pilots  declared  that  the  large  ves- 
sels drew  too  much  water,  and  the  French  finally 
agreed  to  attack  Rhode  Island,  which  the  enemy 
then  occupied  with  a  force  of  5000  men,  who  had 
entrenched  themselves  ;  whilst  the  state  militia, 
under  the  command  of  Sullivan,  were  stationed 
at  Providence.  M.  Girard,  a  French  minister, 
arrived  on  board  that  squadron ;  he  had  been 
long  most  anxiously  expected  by  the  Americans, 
and  M.  de  Lafayette  called  his  delay  a  proof  of 
confidence.  The  last  mark  of  attention  with  which 
the  court  honoured  M.  de  Lafayette,  had  been  an 
order  to  arrest  him  in  the  West  Indies  ;  he  was,  in 
truth,  out  of  favour  in  that  quarter,  and  their  dis- 
pleasure had  increased  on  receiving  his  letters,  which 
were  dictated  less  by  the  prudence  of  a  philosopher 
than  by  the  enthusiasm  of  a  young  lover  of  liberty  : 
but  although  no  letters  were  addressed  to  him,  M. 
d'Estaing  was  not  less  kind  and  attentive  in  his  con- 
duct ;  and  2000  continentalists  having  been  des- 
patched from  White-Plains  to  Providence,  M.  de 
Lafayette,  who  had  exerted  himself  to  hasten  their 
departure,  conducted  them  rapidly  along  the  sound, 
across  a  smiling  country,  covered  with  villages,  in 
which  the  evident  equality  of  the  population  dis- 
tinctly proved  the  democracy  of  the  government. 
From  the  apparent  prosperity  of  each  colony,  it  was 
easy  to  judge  of  the  degree  of  freedom  which  its 
constitution  might  enjoy. 

By  forcing  the  passage  between  Rhode  Island  and 
Connecticut,  M.  d'  Estaing  might  easily  have  carried 
off  as  prisoners  1500  Hessians  who  were  stationed 
on  the  latter  island ;  but  he  yielded  to  Sullivans' 


56  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

entreaties,  and  waited  until  that  general  should  be 
in  readiness  :  but  although  the  troops  of  M.  de  La- 
fayette had  traversed  240  miles,  he  found  on  his 
arrival  that  no  preparations  were  yet  made.  He 
repaired  to  the  squadron,  and  was  received  with  the 
greatest  possible  attention,  especially  t>y  the  general ; 
and,  as  M.  de  Suffren  was  placed  in  front,  he  carried 
back  to  him  an  order  from  M.  d'Estaing  to  attack 
three  frigates,  which,  however,  were  burnt  by  their 
own  crews.  The  American  army  repaired,  on  the 
8th  of  August,  to  Rowland's  Ferry,  during  the 
time  that  the  squadron  was  forcing  its  way  be- 
tween the  two  islands.  General  Greene  having 
joined  the  army,  M.  de  Lafayette  yielded  to  him 
the  command  of  half  his  corps  ;  each  then  possessed 
a  wing,  of  1000  continentalists  and  5000  militia. 
M.  de  Lafayette's  corps  was  to  receive  the  addition 
of  the  two  battalions  of  Foix  and  Hainaut,  with  some 
marines,  The  English,  fearing  to  be  intercepted, 
evacuated  the  forts  on  the  right  of  the  island  during 
the  night  of  the  8th,  and  Sullivan  landed  with 
his  troops  the  next  day.  M.  de  Lafayette  was  ex- 
pecting the  French  that  afternoon,  and  the  boats 
were  already  under  way,  when  a  squadron  appeared 
in  sight  on  the  south  of  the  island,  at  M.  d'  Estaing's 
former  anchorage.  Lord  Howe,  brave  even  to  au- 
dacity, having  watched  the  movements  of  the  French 
admiral  and  his  fleet,  collected  a  greater  number  of 
ships,  of  which  the  sizes  were  however  too  unequal: 
his  position,  and  the  southern  wind,  would  enable 
him,  he  thought,  to  throw  succours  into  Newport, 
where  General  Pigot  had  concentrated  his  force ; 
but  the  wind  changed  during  the  night,  and  the 
next  day  M.  d'Estaing,  within  sight  of  both  armies, 
passed  gallantly  through  the  fire  of  the  two  batteries, 
whilst  the  enemy,  cutting  their  cables,  fled,  under 
heavy  press  of  sail.  After  a  chace  of  eight  hours  the 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  57 

two  squadrons  at  length  met,  and  Lord  Howe  would 
have  paid  dearly  for  his  temerity,  had  not  a  violent 
storm  arisen,  which  dispersed  the  ships.  By  a 
singular  chance,  several  of  Byron's  vessels  came 
up  at  the  same  time  on  their  return  from  Ports- 
mouth, having  been  separated  at  the  Azores  by  a 
violent  gale  of  wind.  The  Languedoc,  the  admiral's 
ship,  deprived  of  its  masts  and  rudder,  and  driven 
by  the  tempest  to  a  distance  from  the  other  vessels, 
was  attacked  by  the  Isis,  of  fifty  guns,  and  owed 
its  safety  only  to  the  courage  and  firmness  of  M. 
d'Estaing.  At  length  he  succeeded  in  rallying  his 
squadron,  and,  faithful  to  his  engagements,  reap- 
peared before  Rhode  Island ;  but  as  he  no  longer 
possessed  the  superiority  of  force,  he  announced  his 
intention  of  repairing  to  Boston,  where  the  Cesar 
had  taken  shelter  after  a  combat.  When  the  storm, 
which  lasted  three  days,  subsided,  the  American 
army  drew  near  Newport.  This  town  was  defended 
by  two  lines  of  redoubts  and  batteries,  surrounded 
by  a  wooden  palisade,  the  two  concentrated  fronts 
of  which  rested  on  the  sea-shore,  and  were  sup- 
ported by  a  ravine  that  it  was  necessary  to  cross. 
The  trench  was  opened,  the  heavy  batteries  esta- 
blished, and  General  Greene  and  M.  de  Lafayette 
were  deputed  to  go  on  board  the  French  admiral  ship, 
to  endeavour  to  obtain  time,  and  propose  either  to 
make  an  immediate  attack,  or  to  station  vessels  in 
the  Providence  river.  KM.  de  Lafayette  had  felt 
consternation  upon  hearing  of  the  dispersion  of  the 
fleet,  the  conduct  of  the  sailors  during  the  combat, 
which  he  learnt  with  tears-  in  his  eyes,  inspired  him 
with  the  deepest  grief.  In  the  council,  where  the 
question  was  agitated,  M.  de  Brugnon  (although  five 
minutes  before  he  had  maintained  the  contrary)  gave 
his  voice  in  favour  of  Boston,  and  his  opinion  was 


58  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

unanimously  adopted.  Before  they  separated,  the  ad- 
miral offered  his  two  battalions  to  M.  de  Lafayette, 
and  appeared  to  feel  great  pleasure  in  being  thus  en- 
abled to  secure  him  his  rank  in  the  French  army;  but 
these  troops  were  useful  on  board,  and  were  not  ne- 
cessary on  the  island,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  would  not 
expose  them  to  danger  for  his  own  private  interest. 
At  the  departure  of  the  vessels,  there  was  but  one 
unanimous  feeling  of  regret  and  indignation.  Their 
lost  time,  extinguished  hopes,  and  embarrassed  situa- 
tion, all  served  to  increase  the  irritation  of  the  militia, 
and  their  discontent  became  contagious.  The  people 
of  Boston  already  spoke  of  refusing  the  fleet  admis- 
sion into  their  port ;  the  generals  drew  up  a  protesta- 
tion, which  M.  de  Lafayette  refused  to  sign.  Carried 
away  by  an  impulse  of  passion,  Sullivan  inserted  in 
an  order  "  that  our  allies  have  abandoned  us."  His 
ill  humour  was  encouraged  by  Hancock,  a  member 
of  congress,  formerly  its  president,  and  who  then 
commanded  the  militia  of  Massachusets  stationed  on 
the  island.  To  him  M.  de  Lafayette  first  declared  his 
intentions,  and  then,  calling  upon  Sullivan,  he  in- 
sisted upon  the  words  used  in  the  order  of  the  morn- 
ing being  retracted  in  that  of  the  evening.  Some 
hours  after,  the  general  returned  his  visit,  and,  draw- 
ing him  aside,  a  very  warm  altercation  took  place  ; 
but  although  totally  indifferent  to  the  peril  of  a  duel, 
Sullivan  was  neither  indifferent  to  the  loss  of  the  in- 
timacy of  M.  de  Lafayette,  nor  to  the  influence  this 
young  Frenchman  possessed  at  head-quarters,  and 
over  congress  and  the  nation ;  and  in  the  nu- 
merous letters  which  M.  de  Lafayette  wrote  on  this 
occasion,  he  made  ample  use  of  his  influence  over 
those  three  important  powers. 

Dr.    Cooper,  a  presbyterian  minister,   was   ex- 
tremely useful  at  Boston ;    and  Hancock  himself 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  59 

ended  by  repairing  thither  to  receive  the  squadron. 
Rather  than  yield  to  the  public  torrent,  M.  de  La- 
fayette had  risked  his  own  popularity ;  and  in  the 
fear  of  being  guided  by  private  interest,  he  had 
gone  to  the  extreme  in  the  opposite  line  of  con- 
duct. He  lived  in  complete  retirement,  in  his  own 
military  quarter,  and  was  never  seen  but  at  the 
trench  or  the  council,  in  which  latter  place  he  would 
not  allow  the  slightest  observation  to  be  made  against 
the  French  squadron.  As  hopes  were  still  enter- 
tained of  obtaining  assistance  from  the  latter,  it  was 
resolved  to  retreat  to  the  north  of  the  island  ;  and 
M.  de  Lafayette  was  sent  on  an  embassy  to  M. 
d'Estaing.  After  having  travelled  all  night,  he 
arrived  at  the  moment  when  the  general  and  his 
officers  were  entering  Boston.  A  grand  repast,  given 
by  the  town,  was  followed  by  a  conference  between 
the  council,  the  admiral,  and  himself,  at  which  M. 
d'Estaing,  while  he  clearly  demonstrated  the  insuffi- 
ciency of  his  naval  force,  offered  to  march  himself 
with  his  troops.  Every  word  was  submitted  to  M. 
de  Lafayette,  and  the  admiral  remarked  this  defer- 
ence without  appearing  hurt  by  it.  That  same  day, 
the  29th  August,  Sullivan  retreated  from  his  post ; 
and  although  the  discontent  which  the  militia  ex- 
perienced had  diminished  the  number  of  his  troops, 
he  conducted  this  movement,  and  the  attack  which 
it  occasioned,  with  great  ability. 

The  next  morning,  at  the  same  time  that  M.  de 
Lafayette  was  informed  of  the  event,  he  learnt  also 
that  the  two  armies  were  in  close  contact  at  the 
north  of  the  island,  and  that  Clinton  had  arrived 
with  a  reinforcement.  Traversing  then  eighty  miles 
in  less  than  eight  hours,  he  repaired  to  Rowland's 
Ferry,  arriving  there  just  as  the  army  was  re-cross- 
ing it  A  corps  of  a  thousand  men  had  been  left 


60  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

on  the  island,  surrounded  with  divisions  of  the 
enemy:  M.  de  Lafayette  undertook  the  charge 
of  them,  and  succeeded  in  withdrawing  them  with- 
out losing  a  single  man.  When  congress  returned 
thanks  to  him  for  his  conduct  during  this  retreat, 
they  likewise  expressed  their  gratitude  for  his 
journey  to  Boston,  at  the  very  period  when  he 
might  so  rationally  have  expected  an  engagement.* 
Sullivan  returned  to  Providence,  and  left  M.  de 
Lafayette  in  the  command  of  the  posts  around  the 
island :  the  post  of  Bristol,  in  which  his  principal 
corps  was  placed,  was  exposed  to  an  attack  by  water; 
he  announced  this  to  General  Washington,  to  whom, 
Sullivan  said,  he  thought  the  same  idea  had  also  oc- 
curred. It  was  at  this  place  he  learnt  the  affair  of 
Ouessant,  which  he  expected  to  celebrate  as  an  im- 
portant victory  ;  but  the  welfare  of  the  squadron 
recalled  him  to  Boston,  where  he  felt  he  could  be 
useful  to  his  countrymen.  The  general  dissatisfac- 
tion was  soon  appeased ;  and  although  M.  de  Saint 
Sauveur  had  been  killed  accidentally  in  a  tumult, 
the  French  had  nevertheless  full  cause  to  acknow- 
ledge the  kindness  and  moderation  of  the  Bosto- 
nians.  During  a  walk  which  he  took  with  the 
Count  d'Estaing,  M.  de  Lafayette  pointed  out  to 
him  the  remains  of  the  army  of  Burgoyne :  two 
soldiers  of  militia,  stationed  at  each  wing,  alone 
.constituted  its  guard.  Feeling  that  his  presence 
was  no  longer  necessary  to  the  squadron,  and  be- 
lieving that  it  was  his  duty  to  return  to  France,  M. 
de  Lafayette  set  out  to  rejoin  the  principal  corps  of 
the  army  at  Philadelphia. 

During  that  time,  the  commissioners  had  made 
many  addresses  and  proclamations.     By  endeavour- 

*  See  fragment  F. 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  61 

ing  to  gain  over  one  member,  Johnstone  had  dis- 
pleased the  congress,  who  refused  to  treat  with  him. 
In  a  public  letter,  signed  Carlisle,  the  French  nation 
was  taxed  with  a  perfidy  too  universally  acknowledged 
to  require  any  new  proof.  With  the  effervescence  of 
youth  and  patriotism,  M.  de  Lafayette  seized  this 
opportunity  of  opposing  the  commission;  and  the 
first  impulse  of  M.  d'Estaing  was  to  approve  of 
his  conduct.  A  haughty  challenge  was  sent  from 
head-quarters  to  Lord  Carlisle :  the  answer  was  an 
ill-explained  refusal ;  and  the  impetuosity  of  M.  de 
Lafayette  was  attended  with  a  good  result,  whilst 
the  prudence  of  the  president  was  ridiculed  in  every 
public  paper. * 

Soon  afterwards,  during  M.  de  Lafayette's  resi- 
dence at  Philadelphia,  the  commission  received  its 
death-blow;  whilst  he  was  breakfasting  with  the 
members  of  congress,  the  different  measures  proper 
to  be  pursued  were  frankly  and  cheerfully  discussed. 
The  correspondence  which  took  place  at  that  time 
is  generally  known ;  the  congress  remained  ever 
noble,  firm,  and  faithful  to  its  allies :  secretary 
Thomson,  in  his  last  letter  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
informs  him,  that  "  the  congress  does  not  answer  im- 
pertinent letters.'9  To  conceal  nothing  from  the 
people,  all  the  proposals  were  invariably  printed ; 

*  The  following  was  written  by  M.  de  Lafayette  twenty  ^  , 
years  after  the  presumed  date  of  the  memoirs: — "Lord  Carlisle 
refused, — and  he  was  right.  The  challenge,  however,  excited 
some  jokes  against  the  commission  and  its  president,  which, 
whether  well  or  ill  founded,  are  always  disadvantageous  to  those 
who  become  their  objects." — (Manuscript  No.  1.)  "  Lord  Car- 
lisle was  right :  but  the  challenge  appearing  the  result  of  chivalric 
patriotism,  party  spirit  took  advantage  of  the  circumstance,  and 
the  feeling  which  had  inspired  this  irregular  step  was  generally 
approved." — (Manuscript  No.  2.) 


62  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

but  able  writers  were  employed  in  pointing  out  the 
errors  they  contained.  In  that  happy  country, 
where  each  man  understood  and  attended  to  public 
affairs,  the  newspapers  became  powerful  instruments 
to  aid  the  revolution.  The  same  spirit  was  also 
breathed  from  the  pulpit,  for  the  Bible  in  many 
places  favours  republicanism.  M.  de  Lafayette, 
having  once  reproached  an  Anglican  minister  with 
speaking  only  of  heaven,  went  to  hear  him  preach 
the  following  Sunday,  and  the  words,  the  execrable 
house  of  Hanover,  proved  the  docility  of  the  minister. 
M.  de  Lafayette  addressed  a  polite  letter  to  the 
French  minister,  and  wrote  also  to  the  congress, 
that,  "  whilst  he  believed  himself  free,  he  had  sup- 
ported the  cause  under  the  American  banner ;  that 
his  country  was  now  at  war,  and  that  his  services 
were  first  due  to  her ;  that  he  hoped  to  return ; 
and  that  he  should  always  retain  his  zealous  interest 
for  the  United  States."  The  congress  not  only 
granted  him  an  unlimited  leave  of  absence,  but 
added  to  it  the  most  flattering  expressions  of  grati- 
tude. It  was  resolved  that  a  sword,  covered  with 
emblems,  should  be  presented  to  him,  in  the  name 
of  the  United  States,  by  their  minister  in  France : 
they  wrote  to  the  king;  and  the  Alliance,  of  thirty- 
six  guns,  their  finest  ship,  was  chosen  to  carry 
him  back  to  Europe.  M.  de  Lafayette  would  neither 
receive  from  them  anything  farther,  nor  allow  them 
to  ask  any  favour  for  him  at  the  court  of  France. 
But  the  congress,  when  proposing  a  co-operation  in 
Canada,  expressed  its  wish  of  seeing  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  affair  confided  to  him:  this  project 
was  afterwards  deferred  from  the  general's  not  enter- 
taining hopes  of  its  ultimate  success.  But  although 
old  prejudices  were  much  softened, — although  the 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  63 

conduct  of  the  admiral  and  the  squadron  had  excited 
universal  approbation, — the  congress,  the  general, 
and,  in  short,  every  one,  told  M.  de  Lafayette  that, 
in  the  whole  circuit  of  the  thirteen  states,  vessels 
only  were  required,  and  that  the  appearance  of  a 
French  corps  would  alarm  the  nation.  As  M.  de 
Lafayette  was  obliged  to  embark  at  Boston,  he  set 
out  again  on  this  journey  of  four  hundred  miles  ;  he 
hoped,  also,  that  he  should  be  able  to  take  leave  of 
M.  d'Estaing,  who  had  offered  to  accompany  him 
to  the  islands,  and  whose  friendship  and  misfortunes 
affected  him  as  deeply  as  his  active  genius  and 
patriotic  courage  excited  his  admiration. 

Heated  by  fatiguing  journeys  and  over  exertion, 
and  still  more  by  the  grief  he  had  experienced  at 
Rhode  Island;  and  having  afterwards  laboured  hard, 
drank  freely,  and  passed  several  sleepless  nights  at 
Philadelphia,  M.  de  Lafayette  proceeded  on  horse- 
back, in  a  high  state  of  fever,  and  during  a  pelting 
autumnal  rain.  Fetes  were  given  in  compliment  to 
him  throughout  his  journey,  and  he  endeavoured  to 
strengthen  himself  with  wine,  tea,  and  rum :  but  at 
Fishkill,  eight  miles  from  head -quarters,  he  was 
obliged  to  yield  to  the  violence  of  an  inflammatory 
fever.  He  was  soon  reduced  to  the  last  extremity, 
and  the  report  of  his  approaching  death  distressed 
the  army,  by  whom  he  was  called  the  soldier's  friend, 
and  the  whole  nation  were  unanimous  in  expressing 
their  good  wishes  and  regrets  for  the  marquis,  the 
name  by  which  he  was  exclusively  designated.  From 
the  first  moment,  Cockran,  director  of  the  hospitals, 
left  all  his  other  occupations  to  attend  to  him  alone. 
General  Washington  came  every  day  to  inquire  after 
his  friend ;  but,  fearing  to  agitate  him,  he  only  con- 
versed with  the  physician,  and  returned  home  with 


64  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

tearful  eyes,  and  a  heart  oppressed  with  grief,* 
Suffering  acutely  from  a  raging  fever  and  violent 
head-ache,  M.  de  Lafayette  felt  convinced  that  he 
was  dying,  but  did  not  lose  for  a  moment  the  clear- 
ness of  his  understanding :  having  taken  measures 
to  be  apprised  of  the  approach  of  death,  he  regretted 
that  he  could  not  hope  again  to  see  his  country  and 
the  dearest  objects  of  his  affection.  Far  from  fore- 
seeing the  happy  fate  that  awaited  him,  he  would 
willingly  have  exchanged  his  future  chance  of  life, 
in  spite  of  his  one  and  twenty  years,  for  the  certainty 
of  living  but  for  three  months,  on  the  condition  of 
again  seeing  his  friends,  and  witnessing  the  happy 
termination  of  the  American  war.  But  to  the  assist- 
ance of  medical  art,  and  the  assiduous  care  of  Dr. 
Cockran,  nature  added  the  alarming  though  salutary 
remedy  of  an  hemorrhage.  At  the  expiration  of 
three  months,  M.  de  Lafayette's  life  was  no  longer 
in  danger :  he  was  at  length  allowed  to  see  the 
general,  and  think  of  public  affairs.  By  decypher- 
ing  a  letter  from  M.  d'Estaing,  he  learnt  that,  in 
spite  of  twenty-one  English  vessels,  the  squadron 
had  set  out  for  la  Martinique.  After  having  spent 
some  days  together,  and  spoken  of  their  past  la- 
bours, present  situations,  and  future  projects,  Gene- 
ral Washington  and  he  took  a  tender  and  painful 
leave  of  each  other.  At  the  same  time  that  the  ene- 
mies of  this  great  man  have  accused  him  of  insen- 
sibility, they  have  acknowledged  his  tenderness  for 
M.  de  Lafayette ;  and  how  is  it  possible  that  he 

*  General  Washington — who,  when  Lafayette  was  wounded 
at  Brandywine,  said  to  the  surgeon,  "  Take  care  of  him  as  if  he 
were  my  son,  for  I  love  him  the  same"—- expressed  for  him,  during 
this  illness,  the  most  tender  and  paternal  anxiety. — (Manuscript 
No.  1.) 


UNTIL  THE  YEAR  1780.  65 

should  not  have  been  warmly  cherished  by  his  dis- 
ciple, he  who,  uniting  all  that  is  good  to  all  that  is 
great,  is  even  more  sublime  from  his  virtues  than 
from  his  talents  ?  Had  he  been  a  common  soldier, 
he  would  have  been  the  bravest  in  the  ranks; 
had  he  been  an  obscure  citizen,  all  his  neighbours 
would  have  respected  him.  With  a  heart  and  mind 
equally  correctly  formed,  he  judged  both  of  himself 
and  circumstances  with  strict  impartiality.  Nature, 
whilst  creating  him  expressly  for  that  revolution, 
conferred  an  honour  upon  herself;  and,  to  shew  her 
work  to  the  greatest  possible  advantage,  she  consti- 
tuted it  in  such  a  peculiar  manner,  that  each  distinct 
quality  would  have  failed  in  producing  the  end 
required,  had  it  not  been  sustained  by  all  the 
others. 

In  spite  of  his  extreme  debility,  M.  de  Lafayette, 
accompanied  by  his  physician,  repaired,  on  horse- 
back, to  Boston,  where  Madeira  wine  effectually 
restored  his  health.  The  crew  of  the  Alliance  was 
not  complete,  and  the  council  offered  to  institute  a 
press,  but  M.  de  Lafayette  would  not  consent  to  this 
method  of  obtaining  sailors,  and  it  was  at  length  re- 
solved to  make  up  the  required  number  by  embarking 
some  English  deserters,  together  with  some  volun- 
teers from  among  the  prisoners .  After  he  had  written 
to  Canada,  and  sent  some  necklaces  to  a  few  of  the 
savage  tribes,  Brice  and  Nevil,  his  aides-de-camp, 
bore  his  farewell  addresses  to  the  congress,  the  gene- 
ral, and  his  friends.  The  inhabitants  of  Boston,  who 
had  given  him  so  many  proofs  of  their  kindness  and 
attention,  renewed  their  marks  of  affection  at  his  de- 
parture ;  and  the  Alliance  sailed  on  the  1 1th  of  January. 
A  winter  voyage  is  always  boisterous  in  that  latitude  ; 
but  on  approaching  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  the 
frigate  experienced  a  violent  storm :  her  main-top 

VOL.  i.  F 


66  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF 

mast  torn  away,  injured  by  a  heavy  sea,  filling  with 
water,  during  one  long  dark  night  she  was  in 
imminent  danger ;  but  a  still  greater  peril  awaited 
her,  two  hundred  leagues  from  the  coast  of  France. 
His  British  Majesty,  encouraging  the  mutiny 
of  crews,  had  issued  a  somewhat  immoral  pro- 
clamation, promising  them  the  value  of  every  rebel 
vessel  that  they  should  bring  into  an  English  port ; 
which  exploit  could  only  be  performed  by  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  officers  and  those  who  opposed  the 
mutiny.  This  proclamation  gave  rise  to  a  plot 
which  was  formed  by  the  English  deserters  and 
volunteers,  who  had  most  imprudently  been  ad- 
mitted, in  great  numbers,  on  board  the  ship:  not  one 
American  or  Frenchman  (for  some  French  sailors 
had  been  found  at  Boston,  after  the  departure  of 
the  squadron)  took  part  in  this  conspiracy.  The 
cry  of  Sail !  was  to  be  raised,  and  when  the  pas- 
sengers and  officers  came  on  deck,  four  cannon, 
loaded  with  canister  shot,  prepared  by  the  gunner's 
mate,  were  to  blow  them  into  atoms.  An  English 
Serjeant  had  also  contrived  to  get  possession  of  some 
loaded  arms.  The  hour  first  named  was  four  in  the 
morning,  but  was  changed  to  four  in  the  afternoon. 
During  that  interim,  the  conspirators,  deceived  by 
the  accent  of  an  American  who  had  lived  a  long 
time  in  Ireland,  and  traded  on  its  coast,  disclosed 
the  plot  to  him,  and  offered  him  the  command  of 
the  frigate  :  the  worthy  man  pretended  to  accept  it, 
and  was  only  able  to  inform  the  captain  and  M.  de 
Lafayette  of  the  conspiracy  one  hour  before  the  time 
fixed  for  its  execution.  They  rushed,  sword  in  hand, 
upon  deck,  followed  by  the  other  passengers  and  offi- 
cers, called  upon  their  own  sailors  to  assist  them,  and 
seized  thirty-one  of  the  culprits,  whom  they  placed  in 
irons.  Many  others  were  accused  in  the  deposi- 


UNTIL    THE    YEAR    1780.  67 

tions,  but  it  was  judged  expedient  to  appear  to  rely 
upon  the  rest  of  the  crew,  although  real  confidence 
was  only  placed  in  the  French  and  Americans. 
Eight  days  afterwards,  the  Alliance  entered  safely 
the  port  of  Brest,  February,  1779. 

When  I  saw  the  port  of  Brest  receive  and  salute 
the  banner  which  floated  on  my  frigate,  I  recalled 
to  mind  the  state  of  my  country  and  of  America, 
and  my  peculiar  situation  when  I  quitted  France. 
The  conspirators  were  merely  exchanged  as  English 
prisoners,  and  I  only  thought  of  rejoining  my  family 
and  friends,  of  whom  I  had  received  no  intelligence 
during  the  last  eight  months.  When  I  repaired  to 
a  court  which  had  hitherto  only  granted  me  lettres 
de  cachet,  M.  de  Poix  made  me  acquainted  with  all 
the  ministers.  I  was  interrogated,  complimented^ 
and  exiled,  but  to  the  good  city  of  Paris ;  and  the 
residence  of  the  Hotel  de  Noailles  was  selected,  in- 
stead of  according  me  the  horrors  of  the  Bastille, 
which  had  been  at  first  proposed.  Some  days  after- 
wards, I  wrote  to  the  king  to  acknowledge  an  error 
of  which  the  termination  had  been  so  fortunate  :  he 
permitted  me  to  receive  a  gentle  reprimand  in  per- 
son ;  and,  when  my  liberty  was  restored  to  me,  I 
was  advised  to  avoid  those  places  in  which  the 
public  might  consecrate  my  disobedience  by  its  ap- 
probation. On  my  arrival,  I  had  the  honour  of 
being  consulted  by  all  the  ministers,  and,  what  was 
far  better,  embraced  by  all  the  ladies.  Those  em- 
braces lasted  but  one  day  ;  but  I  retained  for  a 
greater  length  of  time  the  confidence  of  the  cabinet, 
and  I  enjoyed  both  favour  at  the  court  of  Versailles, 
and  popularity  at  Paris.  I  was  the  theme  of  con- 
versation in  every  circle,  even  after  the  queen's 
kind  exertions  had  obtained  for  me  the  regiment  of 
the  king's  dragoons.  Times  are  widely  changed ; 

F  2 


68  MEMOIRS    OF    MYSELF. 

but  I  have  retained  all  that  I  most  valued — popular 
favour  and  the  affection  of  those  I  love. 

Amidst  the  various  tumultuous  scenes  that  occu- 
pied my  mind,  I  did  not  forget  our  revolution,  of 
which  the  ultimate  success  still  appeared  uncertain. 
Accustomed  to  see  great  interests  supported  by 
slender  means,  I  often  said  to  myself  that  the  ex- 
pense of  one  fdle  would  have  organized  the  army  of 
the  United  States  ;  and  to  clothe  that  army  I  would 
willingly,  according  to  the  expression  of  M.  de 
Maurepas,  have  unfurnished  the  palace  of  Versailles. 
In  the  meantime,  the  principal  object  of  the  quarrel, 
American  independence,  and  the  advantage  our 
government  and  reputation  would  derive  from  seiz- 
ing the  first  favourable  opportunity,  did  not  appear 
to  me  sufficiently  promoted  by  those  immense  pre- 
parations for  trifling  conquests,  and  those  projects 
conceived  in  the  expectation  of  peace ;  for  no  person 
seriously  believed  in  war,  not  even  when  it  was  de- 
clared, after  the  hundredth  injury  had  induced  Spain 
to  enter  into  those  co-operations  which  finally  ter- 
minated in  nothing  more  than  noisy  exercises. 


FRAGMENTS 

EXTRACTED    FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.* 


A. 
DEPARTURE    FOR    AMERICA    IN    1777. 

THE  histories  of  the  American  war  and  revolution 
are,  generally  speaking,  very  favourable  to  M.  de 
Lafayette  ;  the  life  of  Washington,  by  Mr.  Marshall, 
is  especially  so.  There  is  one  phrase,  however, 
(page  410  of  the  third  volume  of  the  London 
edition,)  which  requires  some  explanation.  "He 
left  France  ostensibly  in  opposition  to  his  sovereign." 
This  circumstance  is  treated  in  a  more  lucid  and 
exact  manner  in  the  following  works  : — The  History, 
etc.,  by  William  Gordon,  D.D.,  vol.  ii.,  pages  499  and 
500.  London,  1788. — The  History  of  the  American 
Revolution,  by  Dr.  Ramsay,  vol.  ii.,  page  11.  Phila- 
delphia, 1789. 

The  importance  of  this  step  was  increased  by  a 
peculiar  circumstance.  The  preparations  for  the 

*  We  have  already  mentioned  these  manuscripts.  The  one 
we  term  Manuscript  No.  1,  consists  of  a  rapid  sketch  of  the 
American  life  of  General  Lafayette ;  the  other  one,  or  Manu- 
script 2,  is  entitled,  Observations  on  some  portion  of  the  American 
History,  by  a  Friend  of  General  Lafayette.  Both  appear  to  have 
been  written  about  the  period  of  the  empire.  Fragment  A  is 
drawn  from  the  Manuscript  No.  2. 


70  FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED 

purchase  and  equipment  of  the  vessel  had  delayed 
Lafayette's  departure  until  the  period  which  had 
been  long  previously  fixed  upon  for  an  excursion  of 
some  weeks  into  England  ;  this  enabled  him  to  con- 
ceal his  departure ;  the  American  commissioners 
were  well  pleased  to  take  advantage  of  this  acci- 
dent. Lafayette  refused  the  proposals  which  were 
made  him  in  London  to  visit  the  ports,  or  to  do 
anything  which  could  be  construed  into  an  abuse  of 
confidence.  He  did  not  conceal  his  partiality  for 
the  American  insurgents  ;  but  he  endeavoured  to 
profit  by  the  parade  with  which,  from  political  mo- 
tives, the  king  and  his  ministry  received  at  that 
period  all  persons  coming  from  the  court  of  France, 
and  the  attention  which  was  paid  them.  The  Mar- 
quis de  Noailles,  the  ambassador,  was  his  uncle. 
Lafayette  felt  no  scruple  in  compromising  the  diplo- 
matic character  of  this  representation  of  the  King 
of  France,  so  that  the  maximum  of  the  favourable 
effect  that  his  departure  could  produce  was  obtained 
in  England. 

The  same  result  took  place  in  France.  It  would 
be  difficult  at  this  period  to  imagine  into  what  a 
state  of  political  and  military  insignificance  the 
nation  and  government  had  been  -reduced  during 
the  war  of  seven  years,  and,  above  all,  after  the 
partition  of  Poland.  The  French  ministry  had 
personally,  at  that  period,  the  reputation  of  great 
circumspection;  the  few  indirect  relations  it  per- 
mitted itself  to  hold  with  the  agents  of  the  insur- 
gent colonies  were  only  managed  through  the  me- 
dium of  unacknowledged  agents,  and  were  dis- 
covered the  moment  the  ambassador  pretended  to 
become  acquainted  with  them,  or  that  the  Ameri- 
cans could  have  drawn  any  advantage  from  them. 
Amongst  the  departures  on  which  the  ministers 


FROM     VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.  71 

were  kind  enough  to  close  their  eyes,  there  were 
only  four  engineers  for  whom  this  toleration  was 
in  truth  a  secret  mission.*  One  word  from  Lord 
Stormont  was  sufficient  to  procure  the  detention, 
discharge,  and  sometimes  imprisonment  of  the 
Americans  admitted  into  our  ports :  their  liberty 
or  property  was  only  restored  to  them  surrepti- 
tiously, and  as  if  escaping  from  the  vigilance  of  a 
superior. 

Amidst  this  labyrinth  of  precautions,  feebleness, 
and  denials,  the  effect  may  be  conceived  that  was 
produced  at  Versailles  by  the  bold  step  taken  by  a 
youth  of  distinguished  birth  and  fortune,  allied  to 
one  of  the  first  families  of  the  court,  by  whom  the 
King  of  England  and  his  ministers  would  fancy 
themselves  braved  and  even  laughed  at,  and  whose 
departure  would  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  con- 
nivance of  the  ambassador  and  government  of 
France.  The  displeasure  of  the  rulers  was  roused 
to  the  highest  pitch  :  a  portion  of  Lafayette's  family 
shared  in  this  displeasure.  He  had  secretly  tra- 
versed France.  Having  met  near  Paris  with  Car- 
michael,  secretary  of  the  American  agents,  he  had 
urged  the  immediate  departure  of  his  vessel  from 
Bordeaux,  preferring  to  complete  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements at  the  Spanish  port  of  Passage.  He 
returned  himself  to  Bordeaux,  in  the  hope  of  ob- 
taining a  consent  which  he  considered  would  be 
useful  to  his  cause.  The  return  of  his  courier  hav- 
ing informed  him  that  they  would  not  condescend 
to  give  an  answer  to  such  an  indiscreet  request, 
he  hastened  to  quit  France  himself  in  the  disguise 
of  a  courier,  and  lost  no  time  in  setting  sail. 

The  government,  to  appease  as  far  as  possible, 

*  MM.  de  Gouvion,  Duportail,  Laradiere,  and  Laumoy. 


72  FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED 

the  English  ambassador,  despatched  two  light  vessels 
to  the  Leeward  and  Windward  Islands  to  stop  La- 
fayette. At  that  period,  the  French  navigators  did 
not  risk  steering  straight  towards  the  American  con- 
tinent ;  they  first  repaired  to  the  West  Indies,  and, 
taking  out  papers  for  France,  they  ranged  as  close 
as  possible  to  the  American  coast,  and  endeavoured 
to  seize  a  favourable  moment  or  pretext  to  steal  into 
a  harbour.  Lafayette's  vessel  had  followed  the  com- 
mon course  of  all  expeditions;  but  its  youthful 
owner,  who  had  several  officers  with  him,  and  had 
won  the  affection  of  the  crew,  obliged  the  captain  to 
take  a  straightforward  direction.  A  lucky  gale  of 
wind  drove  off  the  frigates  that  had  been  cruising 
on  the  preceding  day  before  Georgetown,  and  he 
sailed  into  that  port,  having  been  protected  by  fate 
against  the  various  obstacles  which  had  been  op- 
posed to  his  enterprise. 

But  whilst  the  French  government  thus  seconded 
the  views  of  the  English  government,  the  departure 
of  young  Lafayette  produced,  in  Paris,  in  the  com- 
mercial towns,  in  all  societies,  and  even  at  court,  a 
sensation  that  was  very  favourable  to  the  American 
cause.  The  enthusiasm  it  excited  was  in  a  great 
measure  owing  to  the  state  of  political  stagnation  into 
which  the  country  had  so  long  been  plunged,  the 
resentment  excited  by  the  arrogance  of  England, 
her  commissioner  at  Dunkirk,  her  naval  preten- 
sions, and  the  love  inherent  in  all  mankind  of  bold 
and  extraordinary  deeds,  especially  when  they  are 
in  defiance  of  the  powerful,  and  to  protect  the  weak 
in  their  struggle  for  liberty.  To  these  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances may  be  imputed  the  increased  interest 
and  attention,  the  strong  national  feeling,  and  the 
constantly  augmenting  force  of  public  opinion  to 
which  the  French  government  at  length  yielded, 


FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.  73 

when,  in  its  treaties  with  the  United  States,  it 
formed  engagements  with  them,  and  commenced  a 
war  with  England,  which  were  hoth  equally  opposed 
to  its  real  character  and  inclination. 


B. 

FIRST  INTERVIEW  BETWEEN    GENERAL  WASHINGTON 
AND    GENERAL    LAFAYETTE. 

THE  appearance  of  the  two  brothers  Howe  before 
the  capes  of  the  Delaware  had  given  rise  to  the 
supposition  that  it  was  upon  that  side  they  intended 
to  land.  General  Washington  repaired  with  his 
army  towards  the  neighbourhood  of  Philadelphia. 
That  army  had  been  recruiting  during  the  winter. 
Washington  went  to  Philadelphia  to  attend  a  public 
dinner  given  in  honour  of  him.  It  was  then  La- 
fayette was  introduced  to  him.  This  young  foreigner 
had  travelled  by  land  over  the  southern  states,  and 
had  made  a  direct  application  to  the  congress,  re- 
questing to  serve  at  first  as  volunteer,  and  to  serve 
at  his  own  expense.  The  members  were  much 
struck  with  two  requests  differing  so  widely  from 
those  of  several  other  officers,  and  of  one  in  parti- 
cular, an  officer  of  artillery,  who  had  made  great 
pretensions  on  his  arrival,  and  had  soon  afterwards 
drowned  himself  in  the  Schuylkill.  The  rank  of 
major-general  (the  highest  in  the  American  army) 
was  given  to  Lafayette.  Washington  received  the 
young  volunteer  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  and 
invited  him  to  reside  in  his  house  as  a  member  of 
his  military  family,  which  offer  Lafayette  accepted 
with  the  same  frankness  with  which  it  was  made. 


74  FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED 

He  remained  there  until  he  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  a  division.  The  court  of  France  had 
required  that  the  American  envoys  should  write  to 
America  to  prevent  Lafayette  from  being  employed 
in  their  army.  They  did  not  hasten  to  despatch 
that  letter,  and,  when  its  contents  became  known, 
the  popularity  of  Lafayette  was  so  great  that  it  could 
not  produce  any  effect.  It  is  thus  evident,  that  from 
the  first  moment  of  his  embracing  the  American 
cause  every  obstacle  was  thrown  in  his  way ;  all  of 
which,  however,  he  encountered  and  surmounted. 
(Manuscript  No.  1.) 


C. 

ON  THE  MILITARY  COMMANDS  DURING  THE  WINTER 
OF  1778,  AND  THE  FRENCH  IN  THE  SERVICE  OF 
THE  UNITED  STATES. 

AMONGST  the  various  means  employed  to  deprive 
the  general-in-chief  of  his  friends,  attempts  were 
made  to  awaken  the  ambition  of  Lafayette,  who 
already  enjoyed  much  popularity  in  the  army  and 
in  the  country,  and  who  besides  appeared  to  the 
enemies  of  Washington,  from  his  relations  with 
Europe,  one  of  the  men  whom  it  was  most  impor- 
tant to  draw  into  their  party.  They  fancied  they 
should  gain  him  over  by  offering  him  the  govern- 
ment of  the  north,  which  Gates  had  just  quitted, 
and  by  the  hope  of  an  expedition  into  Canada. 
General  Washington  received  a  packet  from  the  mi- 
nister of  war,  enclosing  a  commission  for  Lafayette 
as  an  independent  commander-in-chief,  with  an  order 
to  repair  to  the  congress  to  receive  instructions.  The 
general  placed  it  in  his  hands,  without  allowing 
himself  any  observation  on  the  subject.  Lafayette 


FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.  75 

immediately  declared  to  three  commissioners  of 
congress,  who  happened  to  be  at  that  moment  in 
the  camp,  "  that  he  would  never  accept  any  com- 
mand independent  of  the  general,  and  that  the  title 
of  his  aide-de-camp  appeared  to  him  preferable  to 
any  other  that  could  be  offered  him."  When  General 
Washington  received  the  order  of  congress,  he  only 
said  to  his  young  friend,  whilst  placing  the  letter  in 
his  hand,  "  I  prefer  its  being  for  you  rather  than 
for  any  other  person. " 

The  military  commands,  during  the  winter  of 
1777 — 1778,  were  distributed  in  the  following 
manner  : — General  Washington  assembled  in  some 
huts  at  Valley-Forge  what  was  termed  the  principal 
army,  reduced  at  that  time  to  four  or  five  thousand 
half-clothed  men  General  Mac-Dougal  had  the 
direction  of  a  station  at  Peekskill.  Lafayette  com- 
manded what  was  called  the  northern  army,  that  is 
to  say,  a  handful  of  men ;  his  head-quarters  were  at 
Albany.  The  enemy  made  a  few  incursions,  but  of 
slight  importance  ;  and  by  the  exercise  of  great  vigi- 
lance, and  a  judicious  choice  of  stations,  the  winter 
passed  away  tranquilly.  Lafayette  had  under  his 
orders  two  general  officers,  who  had  been  engaged  in 
the  service  of  France,  namely,  General  Kalb,  a  Ger- 
man by  birth,  who  came  over  in  the  same  vessel  with 
himself;  and  General  Con  way,  an  Irishman,  who 
had  been  a  major  in  a  regiment  of  that  nation,  also 
in  the  service  of  France.  Besides  the  four  engineers 
who  have  been  before  named,  and  these  two  officers, 
we  must  also  mention,  amongst  the  foreigners  em- 
ployed in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  Pulaski, 
a  Polish  nobleman,  who  had  taken  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  confederation  of  his  own  country,  and 
who,  after  the  success  of  the  Russians,  had  arrived 
in  America  with  letters  of  introduction  to  the  con- 


76  FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED 

gress,  General  Washington,  and  General  Lafayette  ; 
Kosciuszko,  his  countryman,  who  was  a  colonel  of 
engineers  in  America,  and  who  afterwards  acted 
such  a  grand  and  noble  part  during  the  last  revo- 
lutions in  Poland  ;  Ternant,  by  birth  a  Frenchman, 
who  has  served  the  United  States,  Holland,  and 
France  with  great  ability ;  La  Colombe,  aide-de- 
camp to  Lafayette,  who  has  been  subsequently  so 
usefully  employed  in  the  French  revolution  ;  the 
Marquis  de  la  Royerie,  whom  disappointed  love 
brought  to  the  United  States,  and  who  has  since 
taken  part  in  the  counter-revolution  ;  Gimat,  aide- 
de-camp  to  Lafayette,  who  has  since  had  the  com- 
mand in  the  French  islands  ;  Fleury,  who  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  defence  of  Fort  Mifflin,  and 
in  the  attack  of  the  fort  of  West-Point,  and  who 
afterwards  died  a  field-marshal  in  France ;  Mauduit- 
Duplessis,  an  extremely  brave  officer  of  artillery, 
who  has  since  taken  part  against  the  French  revo- 
lution, and  was  massacred  at  Saint  Domingo  ;  Tou- 
zard,  an  officer  of  artillery,  who  lost  his  arm  at 
Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  acting  as  aide-de-camp 
to  Lafayette  ;  Major  Lenfant,  employed  as  engineer ; 
Baron  Steuben,  a  Prussian  officer,  a  good  tactician, 
who  arrived  at  the  commencement  of  1778,  and 
was  of  essential  service  in  disciplining  the  Ameri- 
can troops.  These  officers,  and  several  others,  ob- 
tained employment  in  America.  The  greatest 
number,  however,  of  those  who  presented  them- 
selves were  refused  service,  and  returned  to  France, 
with  some  few  exceptions,  to  bear  thither  their  own 
prejudices  against  the  Americans.  Some  of  those 
who  remained  appear  to  have  written  home  likewise 
in  the  same  spirit.  General  Washington  therefore 
observes  very  justly  in  one  of  his  letters,  that  La- 
fayette, in  his  correspondence,  by  destroying  the 


FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.  77 

unfavourable  impressions  that  were  given  of  the 
Americans,  and  seeking,  on  the  contrary,  to  excite 
the  feelings  of  the  French  in  their  favour,  rendered 
a  new  and  very  important  service  to  their  cause. 
(Manuscript  No.  1.) 


D. 

RETREAT    OF    BARREN-HILL. 

As  the  English  army  was  preparing  to  evacuate 
Philadelphia,  Lafayette  was  sent,  with  a  detachment 
of  two  thousand  chosen  men,  and  five  pieces  of 
cannon,  to  a  station  half-way  betwixt  that  city  and 
Valley-Forge ;  this  was  Barren-hill.  A  corps  of 
militia  under  General  Porter  had  been  placed  on 
Lafayette's  left  wing ;  but  he  retired  farther  back, 
and  the  English  took  advantage  of  that  movement  to 
sarround  Lafayette's  detachment.  General  Grant, 
with  seven  thousand  men  and  fourteen  pieces  of 
cannon,  was  behind  him,  and  nearer  than  himself 
to  the  only  ford  by  which  it  was  possible  for  him  to 
pass  the  Schuylkill.  General  Grey,  with  two  thou- 
sand men,  arrived  on  his  left  at  Barren-hill  church  ^ 
whilst  the  remainder  of  the  English  army,  under  the 
command  of  Generals  Clinton  and  Howe,  prepared 
to  attack  him  in  front.  It  is  said  that  Admiral 
Lord  Howe  joined  the  army  as  a  volunteer.  The 
English  generals  felt  so  certain  of  the  capture  of 
Lafayette,  that  they  sent  to  Philadelphia  several 
invitations  to  a  fdte,  at  which  they  said  Lafayette 
would  be  present.  If  he  had  not,  in  truth,  ma- 
noeuvred rather  better  than  they  did,  the  whole 
corps  must  inevitably  have  been  lost.  Alarm-guns 
were  fired  by  the  army ;  General  Washington  felt 


78  FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED 

additional  anxiety  from  the  fact  that,  those  troops 
being  the  flower  of  his  army,  their  defeat  would,  he 
knew,  have  discouraged  the  rest.  Lafayette  instantly 
formed  his  plan  of  operation  :  he  threw  some  troops 
into  the  churchyard,  to  check  those  of  General  Grey. 
He  made  a  false  attack  upon  General  Grant,  shew- 
ing him  the  heads  of  columns  ;  and  whilst  the 
latter  halted,  and  formed  his  troops  to  receive  him, 
he  caused  his  detachment  to  file  off.  By  these 
manoeuvres  he  gained  the  ford,  and  passed  it  in 
presence  of  the  enemy,  without  losing  a  single  man. 
Two  English  lines  met,  and  were  on  the  point  of 
attacking  each  other,  for  there  was  no  longer  any- 
thing between  them ;  the  Americans  had  been  for 
some  time  in  safety  at  the  other  side  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill.  The  English  then  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
much  fatigued  and  ashamed,  and  were  laughed  at  for 
their  ill  success.  (Manuscript  No.  1.) 


E. 

ARRIVAL    OF    THE    FRENCH    FLEET. 

THE  treaty  with  France  became  known  a  short  time 
before  the  opening  of  the  campaign.  The  national 
enthusiasm  for  the  Americans  had  much  increased, 
but  the  ministry  was  afraid  of  war.  Necker,  in  parti- 
cular, did  all  he  could  to  prevent  the  court  of  France 
from  espousing  the  American  cause,  which  may  serve 
as  an  answer  to  the  accusations  of  revolutionary 
ardour  that  were  made  against  him  by  the  aristocrats 
in  France.  Maurepas  was  very  timid,  but  the  news 
of  the  taking  of  Burgoyne  inspired  him  with  some 
courage.  The  Count  de  Vergennes  flattered  himself 
that  he  should  succeed  in  avoiding  war.  The  court 


FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.  79 

of  France  shewed  little  sincerity  in  its  proceedings 
with  England.  The  treaty  was  at  length  concluded. 
Dr.  Franklin,  Silas  Deane,  and  John  Adams,  accom- 
panied by  many  other  Americans  then  in  Paris, 
were  presented  to  the  King  and  royal  family.  They 
repaired  afterwards  to  the  young  Madame  de  La- 
fayette, who  was  at  Versailles,  wishing  to  testify  by 
that  public  act  how  much  they  thought  themselves 
indebted  to  Lafayette  for  the  happy  direction  which 
their  affairs  had  taken.  The  news  of  the  treaty 
excited  a  great  sensation  in  America,  and,  above  all, 
in  the  army.  Lafayette  had  long  since  returned 
from  his  command  in  the  north  to  the  head-quarters 
of  General  Washington.  The  manifesto  of  the 
French  government  to  the  British  cabinet  contained 
this  expression :  "  The  Americans  having  become 
independent  by  their  declaration  of  such  a  day." 
"  That,"  said  Lafayette,  smiling,  "  is  a  principle  of 
national  sovereignty  which  shall  one  day  be  recalled 
to  them."  The  French  revolution,  and  the  part 
which  he  took  in  it,  have  doubly  verified  this  pre- 
diction. (Manuscript  No.  1 .) 

Mr.  Marshall's  work  contains  a  curious  disserta- 
tion upon  the  declaration  of  war  between  France  and 
England,  and  gives  also  the  extract  of  a  memorial 
of  M.  Turgot,  which  it  would  be  interesting  to 
verify.  It  would  then  be  seen  what  opinions  were 
supported  at  that  time,  concerning  the  colonies  in 
general,  and  the  quarrel  with  the  English  colonies 
in  particular,  by  one  of  the  most  liberal  and  enlight- 
ened men  in  regard  to  political  and  commercial 
questions.  The  idea  that  the  queen  supported  the 
war  party  is  not  correct ;  her  social  tastes  were 
rather  of  the  Anglomania  kind ;  her  politics  were 
completely  Austrian,  and  the  court  of  Vienna  did 
not  wish  that  France  should  have  any  pretext  for 


80  FRAGMENTS    EXTRACTED 

refusing  to  fulfil  the  conditions  of  the  treaty  made 
with  it,  which  were  soon  afterwards  exacted  ;  but 
the  queen,  like  a  true  woman  of  the  world,  followed 
the  impulse  given  by  Paris,  the  commercial  towns, 
and  the  public. 

Dr.  Ramsay  alludes  to  the  happiness  which  La- 
fayette must  have  experienced  when,  upon  learning 
the  happy  news  of  the  French  alliance,  he,  with  tears 
of  joy,  embraced  his  illustrious  general.  Several 
persons  present  have  since  recollected  that  when  the 
message  of  the  court  of  Versailles  to  that  of  London 
was  read  aloud,  with  all  the  justifications  which 
dwelt  upon  the  right  of  the  American  nation  to  give 
themselves  a  government,  Lafayette  exclaimed, — 
"  That  is  a  great  truth  which  we  will  recall  to  them 
at  home."  (Manuscript  No.  2.) 


F. 

DISSENSIONS    BETWEEN    THE    FRENCH    FLEET   AND 
THE    AMERICAN    ARMY. 

THE  history  of  Dr.  Gordon,  that  of  Ramsay,  and 
of  Mr.  Marshall,  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  ar- 
rival of  Count  d'Estaing  at  the  entrance  of  the  Dela- 
ware, his  arrival  at  Sandyhook,  and  the  expedition 
against  Rhode  Island.  Lafayette  conducted  thither, 
from  White  Plains,  two  thousand  men  of  the  con- 
tinental troops.  He  made  that  journey  (two 
hundred  and  forty  miles)  very  rapidly,  and  arrived 
before  the  remainder  of  the  troops  under  Sullivan 
were  in  readiness.  It  is  to  be  lamented  that  the  latter 
general  persuaded  Count  d'Estaing  to  await  the  co- 
operation of  the  Americans,  whilst,  had  he  encou- 
raged him  to  force  the  passage  between  Rhode  Island 
and  Connecticut  Island,  he  would  have  had  time,  at 


FROM    VARIOUS    MANUSCRIPTS.  81 

the  first  moment  of  his  arrival,  to  have  captured 
fifteen  hundred  Hessians  who  were  upon  the  last- 
mentioned  island.  On  the  other  hand,  M.  d'Estaing 
was  wrong  in  being  displeased  with  General  Sulli- 
van for  effecting  his  passage  and  taking  possession 
of  the  forts  on  the  north  of  the  island,  as  soon  as  he 
learnt  that  they  had  been  abandoned  by  the  enemy, 
and  without  having  concerted  any  plan  of  operations 
with  the  admiral.  Everything,  however,  went  on 
extremely  well.  The  Americans  had  twelve  thou- 
sand men  upon  the  island ;  their  right  was  com- 
posed of  the  half  of  the  continentalists  brought  by 
Lafayette  from  White  Plains,  and  of  five  thousand 
militia,  and  was  under  the  command  of  General 
Greene  ;  the  left  consisted  also  of  five  thousand 
militia,  with  the  other  half  of  the  continentalists,  and 
was  commanded  by  M.  de  Lafayette.  On  the  8th 
of  August  the  American  army  proceeded  to  How- 
land's  ferry,  whilst  the  squadron  forced  the  passage. 
The  English  set  fire  to  three  of  their  own  frigates  ; 
they  had  six  frigates,  and  several  other  vessels,  burnt 
during  this  expedition.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  day 
that  Sullivan's  army  landed,  they  were  expecting 
the  battalions  of  Foix  and  Hainaut,  and  the  marines, 
which  were  to  have  joined  Lafayette's  corps,  when 
Admiral  Howe  suddenly  hove  in  sight,  and  took 
possession  of  the  anchorage  that  Count  d'Estaing 
had  quitted,  in  order  to  force  his  passage  between 
the  islands.  The  French  sailors  feared  that  the 
enemy  would  take  advantage  of  their  situation, 
enclosed  as  they  were  between  the  islands,  or  that 
some  reinforcements  would  at  least  be  thrown 
upon  the  southern  part  of  the  island  ;  but  the  wind 
having  changed  during  the  night,  Count  d'Estaing 
sailed  out  gallantly  through  the  fire  of  the  English 
batteries,  and  Lord  Howe,  cutting  his  cables,  fled 

VOL.  I.  G 


82  FRAGMENTS. 

before  him.  This  skilful  admiral  would  have  paid 
dearly  for  his  bold  manoeuvre,  if  the  storm  had  not 
come  most  opportunely  to  his  aid. 

Mr.  Marshall,  who  had  the  letters  of  Washington 
and  Lafayette  before  him,  states  the  manner  in  which 
Lafayette,  on  the  one  side,  exposed  himself,  without 
reserve,  to  the  loss  of  his  popularity,  and  on  the 
other,  zealously  exerted  himself  in  defending  the 
honour  of  the  French  from  the  accusations  that  the 
dissatisfaction  of  the  Americans  had  universally  ex- 
cited, especially  at  Rhode  Island  and  Boston,  against 
the  officers  of  the  squadron ;  and  also  to  prevent  that 
dissatisfaction  from  breaking  into  open  disputes. 
Sullivan,  the  senior  of  the  three  majors-general,  was 
commander-in-chief.  It  was  after  an  explanation 
with  Lafayette,  his  friend  and  comrade,  that  he 
softened,  by  a  subsequent  order  of  the  day,  the  ex- 
pressions which  he  had  imprudently  used  in  the  one 
preceding.  General  Greene,  a  man  of  superior 
merit,  contributed  much  to  the  reconciliation.  The 
ex-president,  Hancock,  who  had  at  first  loudly  ex- 
pressed his  displeasure,  consented  to  repair  to  Boston 
to  endeavour  to  calm  the  public  mind,  and  to  obtain 
provisions  for  the  squadron.  The  popularity  of 
Lafayette  was  usefully  employed  during  his  short 
visit  to  that  town.  The  congress,  and  General 
Washington  also,  thought  that  this  quarrel  could 
not  be  too  speedily  appeased ;  but  they  were  at  a 
distance,  and  a  proper  mixture  of  firmness  and  per- 
suasion was  required  from  the  first  moment.  Such 
a  perfect  understanding,  however,  was  now  esta- 
blished, that  it  was  not  even  disturbed  by  the  un- 
fortunate event  which,  some  time  afterwards,  cost 
M.  de  Saint  Sauveur  his  life.  Much  was  also 
due  to  Dr.  Cooper,  a  distinguished  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  (Manuscript  No.  2.) 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

1777—1778. 


TO    THE    DUKE    D'AYEN.* 

London,  March  9, 1777. 

You  will  be  astonished,  my  dear  father,  at  the 
news  I  am  on  the  point  of  giving  you :  it  has  cost 
me  far  more  than  I  can  express  not  to  consult  you. 
My  respect  and  affection  for  you,  as  well  as  my  great 
confidence  in  you,  must  convince  you  of  the  truth 
of  this  assertion  ;  but  my  word  was  given,  and  you 
would  not  have  esteemed  me  had  I  broken  it ;  the 
step  I  am  now  taking  will  at  least  prove  to  you,  I 
hope,  the  goodness  of  my  intentions.  I  have  found 
a  peculiar  opportunity  of  distinguishing  myself,  and 
of  learning  a  soldier's  trade  :  I  am  a  general  officer 
in  the  army  of  the  United  States  of  America.  The 


*  Jean  Paul  Fra^ois  de  Noailles,  Duke  d'Ayen,  afterwards 
Duke  de  Noailles,  died  a  member  of  the  House  of  Peers,  in 
1824,  and  was,  as  is  well  known,  father-in-law  to  M.  de  La- 
fayette, who  had  been,  we  may  say,  brought  up  in  the  hotel 
de  Noailles,  and  who  looked  upon  all  his  wife's  family  as  his 
own.  It  was  at  that  time  divided  into  two  branches.  The 
Marshal  de  Noailles,  governor  of  Roussillon,  and  captain  of  the 
guards  of  the  Scotch  company,  was  the  head  of  the  eldest 
branch.  He  had  four  children  :  the  Duke  d'Ayen,  the  Marquis 
de  Noailles,  and  Mesdames  de  Tesse  and  de  Lesparre.  The  Duke 
d'Ayen,  a  general  officer,  captain  of  the  guards  in  reversion, 
married  Henriette  Anne  Louise  Daguesseau,  by  whom  he  had 
daughters  only.  The  eldest,  who  died  in  1794,  on  the  same 

G  2 


80  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778. 

events,  I  must  equally  have  been  parted  from 
yOU) — wandering  about  in  Italy,*  dragging  on  an 
inglorious  life,  surrounded  by  the  persons  most 
opposed  to  my  projects,  and  to  my  manner  of 
thinking  ?  All  these  reflections  did  not  prevent  my 
experiencing  the  most  bitter  grief  when  the  moment 
arrived  for  quitting  my  native  shore.  Your  sorrow, 
that  of  my  friends,  Henrietta,!  all  rushed  upon  my 
thoughts,  and  my  heart  was  torn  by  a  thousand 
painful  feelings.  I  could  not  at  that  instant  find 
any  excuse  for  my  own  conduct.  If  you  could 
know  all  that  I  have  suffered,  and  the  melancholy 
days  that  I  have  passed,  whilst  thus  flying  from  all 
that  I  love  best  in  the  world  !  Must  I  join  to  this 
affliction  the  grief  of  hearing  that  you  do  not  pardon 
me  ?  I  should,  in  truth,  my  love,  be  too  unhappy. 
But  I  am  not  speaking  to  you  of  myself  and  of  my 
health,  and  I  well  know  that  these  details  will 
deeply  interest  you. 

Since  writing  my  last  letter,  I  have  been  confined 
to  the  most  dreary  of  all  regions  :  the  sea  is  so 
melancholy,  that  it  and  I  mutually,  I  believe, 
sadden  each  other.  I  ought  to  have  landed  by  this 
time,  but  the  winds  have  been  most  provokingly 
contrary ;  I  shall  not  arrive  at  Charlestown  for 
eight  or  ten  days.  It  will  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
to  land,  as  I  am  expecting  to  do,  in  that  city.  When 
I  am  once  on  shore,  I  shall  hope  each  day  to  receive 
news  from  France  ;  I  shall  learn  so  many  interest- 
ing things,  both  concerning  the  new  country  I  am 

*  At  the  moment  when  M.  de  Lafayette's  project  of  departure 
was  taking  place,  he  had  been  desired  to  join  the  Duke  d'Ayen, 
and  Madame  de  Tesse,  his  sister,  who  were  setting  out  for  Italy 
and  Sicily, 

f  The  first-born  of  M.  de  Lafayette,  which  died  during  his 
voyage.  (See  letter  16th  June,  1778.) 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  87 

seeking,  and,  above  all,  that  home  which  I  have 
quitted  with  so  much  regret !  Provided  I  only  learn 
that  you  are  in  good  health,  that  you  still  love 
me,  and  that  a  certain  number  of  my  friends  enter- 
tain the  same  feelings  towards  me,  I  can  become 
a  perfect  philosopher  with  respect  to  all  the  rest, 
—whatever  it  may  be,  or  whatever  land  it  may 
concern.  But  if  my  heart  be  attacked  in  its  most 
vulnerable  part,  if  you  were  to  love  me  less,  I 
should  feel,  in  truth,  too  miserable.  But  I  need  not 
fear  this — need  I,  my  dearest  love  ?  I  was  very  ill 
during  the  first  part  of  my  voyage,  and  I  might  have 
enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  an  ill-natured  person,  that 
of  knowing  that  I  had  many  fellow  sufferers.  I 
treated  myself  according  to  my  own  judgment,  and 
recovered  sooner  than  the  other  passengers  ;  I  am 
now  nearly  the  same  as  if  I  were  on  shore.  I 
am  certain  that,  on  my  arrival,  I  shall  be  in  a  per- 
fect state  of  health,  and  continue  so  for  a  long  time. 
Do  not  fancy  that  I  shall  incur  any  real  gangers  by 
the  occupations  I  am  undertaking.  The  post  of 
general  officer  has  always  been  considered  like  a 
commission  for  immortality.  The  service  will  be 
very  different  from  the  one  I  must  have  performed 
if  I  had  been,  for  example,  a  colonel  in  the  French 
army.  My  attendance  will  only  be  required  in  the 
council.  Ask  the  opinion  of  all  general  officers, — 
and  these  are  very  numerous,  because,  having  once 
attained  that  height,  they  are  no  longer  exposed  to 
any  hazards,  and  do  not  therefore  yield  their  places 
to  inferior  officers,  as  is  the  case  in  other  situations. 
To  prove  that  I  do  not  wish  to  deceive  you,  I  will 
acknowledge  that  we  are  at  this  moment  exposed  to 
some  danger,  from  the  risk  of  being  attacked  by 
English  vessels,  and  that  my  ship  is  not  of  sufficient 
force  for  defence.  But  when  I  have  once  landed,  I 


88  CORRESPONDENCE — -1777,    1778. 

shall  be  in  perfect  safety.  You  see  that  I  tell  you 
everything,  my  dearest  love ;  confide  therefore  in 
me,  and  do  not,  I  conjure  you,  give  way  to  idle 
fears.  I  will  not  write  you  a  journal  of  my  voyage  : 
days  succeed  each  other,  and,  what  is  worse,  re- 
semble each  other.  Always  sky,  always  water,  and 
the  next  day  a  repetition  of  the  same  thing.  In  truth, 
those  who  write  volumes  upon  a  sea  voyage  must 
be  incessant  babblers  ;  for  my  part,  I  have  had  con- 
trary winds,  as  well  as  other  people  ;  I  have  made 
a  long  voyage,  like  other  people ;  I  have  encountered 
storms ;  I  have  seen  vessels,  and  they  were  far  more 
interesting  for  me  than  for  any  other  person : 
well !  I  have  not  observed  one  single  event  worth 
the  trouble  of  relating,  or  that  has  not  been  de- 
scribed by  many  other  persons. 

Let  us  speak  of  more  important  things  :  of  your- 
self, of  dear  Henriette,  and  of  her  brother  or  sister. 
Henriette  is  so  delightful,  that  she  has  made  me  in 
love  with  little  girls.  To  whichever  sex  our  new 
infant  may  belong,  I  shall  receive  it  with  unbounded 
joy.  Lose  not  a  moment  in  hastening  my  happi- 
ness by  apprising  me  of  its  birth.  I  know  not  if  it 
be  because  I  am  twice  a  father,  but  my  parental 
feelings  are  stronger  than  they  ever  were.  Mr. 
Deane,  and  my  friend  Carmichael,  will  forward  your 
letters,  and  will,  I  am  sure,  neglect  nothing  to  pro- 
mote my  happiness  as  soon  as  possible.  Write, 
and  even  send  me  a  confidential  person,  it  would 
give  me  such  pleasure  to  question  any  one  who  has 
seen  you :  Landrin,  for  example ;  in  short,  whom 
you  please.  You  do  not  know  the  warmth  and 
extent  of  my  affection,  if  you  fancy  that  you  may 
neglect  anything  relating  to  yourself.  You  will  be, 
at  first,  a  long  time  without  hearing  from  me  ; 
but  when  I  am  once  established  you  will  receive 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  89 

letters  constantly,  and  of  a  very  recent  date. 
There  is  no  great  difference  of  time  between  letters 
from  America  and  letters  from  Sicily.  I  own  that 
Sicily  weighs  heavily  on  my  heart.  I  fancied  myself 
near  seeing  you  again  !  But  let  me  break  off  at 
the  word  Sicily.  Adieu,  my  dearest  love  ;  I  shall 
write  to  you  from  Charlestown,  and  write  to  you 
also  before  I  arrive  there.  Good  night,  for  the 

present. 

7th  June. 

I  am  still  floating  on  this  dreary  plain,  the  most 
wearisome  of  all  human  habitations.  To  console 
myself  a  little,  I  think  of  you  and  of  my  friends  :  I 
think  of  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  again.  How 
delightful  will  be  the  moment  of  my  arrival !  I 
shall  hasten  to  surprise  and  embrace  you.  I  shall 
perhaps  find  you  with  your  children.  To  think, 
only,  of  that  happy  moment,  is  an  inexpressible 
pleasure  to  me ;  do  not  fancy  that  it  is  distant ; 
although  the  time  of  my  absence  will  appear,  I  own, 
very  long  to  me,  yet  we  shall  meet  sooner  than  you 
can  expect.  Without  being  able  myself  to  fix  the 
day  or  the  month  of  our  reunion,  without  being 
aware  even  of  the  cause  of  our  absence,  the  exile 
prescribed  by  the  Duke  d'Ayen,  until  the  month  of 
January,  appeared  to  me  so  immeasurably  long,  that 
I  certainly  shall  not  inflict  upon  myself  one  of  equal 
length.  You  must  acknowledge,  my  love,  that  the 
occupation  and  situation  I  shall  have  are  very  dif- 
ferent from  those  that  were  intended  for  me  during 
that  useless  journey.  Whilst  defending  the  liberty 
I  adore,  I  shall  enjoy  perfect  freedom  myself :  I  but 
offer  my  service  to  that  interesting  republic  from 
motives  of  the  purest  kind,  unmixed  with  ambition 
or  private  views ;  her  happiness  and  my  glory  are 
my  only  incentives  to  the  task.  I  hope  that,  for  my 


90  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778. 

sake,  you  will  become  a  good  American,  for  that 
feeling"  is  worthy  of  every  noble  heart.  The  happi- 
ness of  America  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
happiness  of  all  mankind  ;  she  will  become  the  safe 
and  respected  asylum  of  virtue,  integrity,  tolera- 
tion, equality,  and  tranquil  happiness. 

We  have  occasionally  some  slight  alarms,  but, 
with  a  little  skill  and  good  luck,  I  am  certain  of 
reaching  the  port  in  safety.  I  am  more  pleased  with 
this  prospect,  because  I  feel  that  I  am  becoming, 
every  day,  extremely  reasonable.  You  know  that 
the  viscount*  has  the  habit  of  repeating,  that  "  tra- 
velling forms  young  men ;"  if  he  said  this  but  once 
every  morning  and  once  every  evening,  in  truth  it 
would  not  be  too  much,  for  I  am  constantly  more 
strongly  impressed  with  the  justice  of  the  observa- 
tion. I  know  not  where  the  poor  viscount  is  at  this 
present  moment,  nor  the  prince,f  nor  all  my  other 
friends.  This  state  of  uncertainty  is  a  very  painful 
one.  Whenever  you  chance  to  meet  any  one  whom 
I  love,  tell  him  a  thousand  and  ten  thousand  things 
from  me.  Embrace  tenderly  my  three  sisters,  and 
tell  them  that  they  must  remember  me,  and  love 
me ;  present  my  compliments  to  Mademoiselle 
Marin  ;J  I  recommend,  also,  poor  Abbe'  Fayon  to 
your  care.  As  to  the  Marshal  de  Noailles,  tell  him 
that  I  do  not  write  to  him,  for  fear  of  tiring  him,  and 
because  I  should  have  nothing  to  announce  to  him 
but  my  arrival ;  that  I  am  expecting  his  commis- 

*  The  Viscount  de  Noailles,  brother-in-law  to  M.  de  La- 
fayette. 

f  The  Prince  de  Poix,  son  of  the  Marshal  de  Mouchy,  and 
consequently  uncle,  according  to  the  mode  of  Bretagne,  to  Ma- 
dame de  Lafayette. 

J  Mademoiselle  Marin  was  governess  to  Mesdemoiselles  de 
Noailles ;  and  the  Abbe  Fayon  was  tutor  to  M.  de  Lafayette. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  91 

sions  for  trees  or  plants,  or  whatever  else  he  may  de- 
sire, and  that  I  should  wish  my  exactness  in  fulfilling 
his  wishes  to  be  a  proof  of  my  affection  for  him.  Pre- 
sent, also,  my  respects  to  the  Duchess  de  la  Tre- 
moille,* and  tell  her  that  I  make  the  same  offer  to 
her  as  to  the  Marshal  de  Noailles,  either  for  herself 
or  her  daughter-in-law,  who  has  such  a  beautiful 
garden.  Tell  my  old  friend  Desplaus,f  also,  that  I 
am  well.  As  to  my  aunts,  Madame  d'Ayen  and  the 
viscountess,  I  am  myself  writing  to  them. 

These  are  my  little  commissions,  my  love ;  I  have 
also  written  to  Sicily.  We  have  seen,  to-day, 
several  kinds  of  birds,  which  announce  that  we  are 
not  far  from  shore.  The  hope  of  arriving  is  very 
sweet,  for  a  ship  life  is  a  most  wearisome  one.  My 
health,  fortunately,  allows  me  to  occupy  myself  a 
little  ;  I  divide  my  time  between  military  books  and 
English  books.  I  have  made  some  progress  in  this 
language,  which  will  become  very  necessary  to  me. 
Adieu ;  night  obliges  me  to  discontinue  my  letter, 
as  I  have  forbidden,  some  days  since,  any  candles 
being  used  in  my  vessel :  see  how  prudent  I  have 
become  !  Once  more,  adieu ;  if  my  fingers  be  at 
all  guided  by  my  heart,  it  is  not  necessary  to  see 
clearly  to  tell  you  that  I  love  you,  and  that  I  shall 
love  you  all  my  life. 

*  Madame  de  Lafayette,  author  of  the  Princess  de  Cleves, 
had  only  one  daughter,  who  became  Madame  de  la  Tremoille, 
and  heiress  to  the  property  of  the  Lafayette  family  ;  and  who 
cheerfully  consented  to  restore  to  her  cousins,  who  inhabited  the 
province,  those  estates  which  a  love  of  their  family  might  make 
them  wish  to  conserve  to  the  heritors  of  the  name  of  Lafayette. 
Since  that  period,  the  members  of  that  branch,  of  which 
M.  de  Lafayette  was  the  last  scion,  have  constantly  kept  up 
feelings,  not  only  of  relationship,  but  of  friendship,  with  the 
family  of  la  Tremoille. 

An  old  valet  de  chambre. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778. 


15th  June — At  Major  Hughes's.* 
I  have  arrived,  my  dearest  love,  in  perfect  health, 
at  the  house  of  an  American  officer;  and,  hy  the  most 
fortunate  chance  in  the  world,  a  French  vessel  is  on 
the  point  of  sailing ;  conceive  how  happy  I  am.  I 
am  going  this  evening  to  Charlestown,  from  whence 
I  will  write  to  you.  There  is  no  important  news. 
The  campaign  is  opened,  but  there  is  no  fighting,  or 
at  least,  very  little.  The  manners  in  this  part  of 
the  world  are  simple,  polite,  and  worthy  in  every 
respect  of  the  country  in  which  the  noble  name  of 
liberty  is  constantly  repeated.  I  intended  writing 
to  Madame  d'Ayen,  but  I  find  it  is  impossible. 
Adieu,  adieu,  my  love.  From  Charlestown  I  shall 
repair,  by  land,  to  Philadelphia,  to  rejoin  the  army. 
Is  it  not  true  that  you  will  always  love  me  ? 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

June  19th,  1777,  Charlestown. 

IF  my  last  letter,  my  dearest  love, written  five  or  six 
days  ago,  was  closed  hastily,  I  hope  at  least  that  the 
American  captain,  whom  I  then  believed  to  be  a 
French  one,  will  remit  it  to  you  as  soon  as  possible. 
That  letter  announced  to  you  that  I  had  landed 
safely  in  this  country,  after  having  suffered  a  little 
from  sea-sickness  during  the  first  weeks  of  my 
voyage  ;  that  I  was  staying  with  a  very  kind  officer, 
in  whose  house  I  was  received  upon  my  arrival; 
that  I  had  been  nearly  two  months  at  sea,  and  was 

-n-A  ;-flo;o*  te&\  ^:; 

*  The  father  of  him  who  so  generously  devoted  himself  to 
save  Lafayette  from  the  prisons  of  Olmutz. — (Note  of  M.  de 
Lafayette.) 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  93 

anxious  to  continue  my  journey  immediately ;  that 
letter  spoke  of  everything  which  interests  my  heart 
most  deeply,  of  my  regret  at  having  quitted  you,  of 
your  pregnancy,  and  of  our  dear  children ;  it  told 
you,  also,  that  I  was  in  perfect  health.  I  repeat 
this  extract  from  it,  because  the  English  may  very 
possibly  amuse  themselves  by  seizing  it  on  its  way. 
I  place,  however,  so  much  confidence  in  my  lucky 
star,  that  I  hope  it  will  reach  you  safely.  That  same 
Star  has  protected  me  to  the  astonishment  of  every 
person ;  you  may,  therefore,  trust  a  little  to  it  in 
future,  my  love,  and  let  this  conviction  tranquillize 
your  fears.  I  landed  after  having  sailed  for  several 
days  along  a  coast  swarming  with  hostile  vessels. 
On  my  arrival  here  every  one  told  me  that  my  ship 
must  undoubtedly  be  taken,  because  two  English 
frigates  had  blockaded  the  harbour.  I  even  sent, 
both  by  land  and  sea,  orders  to  the  captain  to  put 
the  men  on  shore,  and  burn  the  vessel,  if  he  had 
still  the  power  of  doing  so.  Well !  by  a  most  extra- 
ordinary piece  of  good  fortune,  a  sudden  gale  of 
wind  having  blown  away  the  frigates  for  a  short 
time,  my  vessel  arrived  at  noon-day,  without  having 
encountered  friend  or  foe.  At  Charlestown  I  have 
met  with  General  Howe,  a  general  officer,  now  en- 
gaged in  service.  The  governor  of  the  state  is 
expected  this  evening  from  the  country.  All  the 
persons  with  whom  I  wished  to  be  acquainted  have 
shewn  me  the  greatest  attention  and  politeness  (not 
European  politeness  merely)  ;  I  can  only  feel  grati- 
tude for  the  reception  I  have  met  with,  although  I 
have  not  yet  thought  proper  to  enter  into  any  detail 
respecting  my  future  prospects  and  arrangements. 
I  wish  to  see  the  congress  first.  I  hope  to  set  out 
in  two  days  for  Philadelphia,  which  is  a  land  journey 
of  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  leagues.  We 


94  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778. 

shall  divide  into  small  parties  ;  I  have  already  pur- 
chased horses  and  light  carriages  for  this  purpose. 
There  are  some  French  and  American  vessels  at 
present  here,  who  are  to  sail  out  of  the  harbour  in 
company  to-morrow  morning,  taking  advantage  of 
a  moment  when  the  frigates  are  out  of  sight :  they 
are  numerous  and  armed,  and  have  promised  me  to 
defend  themselves  stoutly  against  the  small  privateers 
they  will  undoubtedly  meet  with.  I  shall  distribute 
my  letters  amongst  the  different  ships,  in  case  any. 
accident  should  happen  to  either  one  of  them. 

I  shall  now  speak  to  you,  my  love,  about  the 
country  and  its  inhabitants,  who  are  as  agreeable  as 
my  enthusiasm  had  led  me  to  imagine.  Simplicity 
of  manner,  kindness  of  heart,  love  of  country  and  of 
liberty,  and  a  delightful  state  of  equality,  are  met 
with  universally.  The  richest  and  the  poorest  man 
are  completely  on  a  level;  and  although  there  are 
some  immense  fortunes  in  this  country,  I  may  chal- 
lenge any  one  to  point  out  the  slightest  difference 
in  their  respective  manner  towards  each  other.  I 
first  saw  and  judged  of  a  country  life  at  Major 
Hughes 's  house :  I  am  at  present  in  the  city,  where 
everything  somewhat  resembles  the  English  customs, 
except  that  you  find  more  simplicity  here  than  you 
would  do  in  England.  Charlestown  is  one  of  the 
best  built,  handsomest,  and  most  agreeable  cities 
that  I  have  ever  seen.  The  American  women  are 
very  pretty,  and  have  great  simplicity  of  character  ; 
and  the  extreme  neatness  of  their  appearance  is  truly 
delightful :  cleanliness  is  everywhere  even  more 
studiously  attended  to  here  than  in  England. 
What  gives  me  most  pleasure  is  to  see  how  com- 
pletely the  citizens  are  all  brethren  of  one  family. 
In  America  there  are  none  poor,  and  none  even 
that  can  be  called  peasants.  Each  citizen  has  some 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  95 

property,  and  all  citizens  have  the  same  rights  as 
the  richest  individual,  or  landed  proprietor,  in  the 
country.  The  inns  are  very  different  from  those  of 
Europe  ;  the  host  and  hostess  sit  at  table  with  you, 
and  do  the  honours  of  a  comfortable  meal ;  and  when 
you  depart,  you  pay  your  bill  without  being  obliged 
to  tax  it.  If  you  should  dislike  going  to  inns,  you 
may  always  find  country  houses  in  which  you  will 
be  received,  as  a  good  American,  with  the  same 
attention  that  you  might  expect  in  a  friend's  house 
in  Europe. 

My  own  reception  has  been  most  peculiarly  agree- 
able. To  have  been  merely  my  travelling  com- 
panion, suffices  to  secure  the  kindest  welcome.  I 
have  just  passed  five  hours  at  a  large  dinner  given  in 
compliment  to  me  by  an  individual  of  this  town.  Ge- 
nerals Howe  and  Moultrie,  and  several  officers  of  my 
suite,  were  present.  We  drank  each  other's  health, 
and  endeavoured  to  talk  English,  which  I  am  begin- 
ning to  speak  a  little.  I  shall  pay  a  visit  to-morrow, 
with  these  gentlemen,  to  the  governor  of  the  state, 
and  make  the  last  arrangements  for  my  departure. 
The  next  day,  the  commanding  officers  here  will  take 
me  to  see  the  town  and  its  environs,  and  I  shall  then 
set  out  to  join  the  army.  I  must  close  and  send  my 
letter  immediately,  because  the  vessel  goes  to-night 
to  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  and  sails  to-morrow 
at  five  o'clock.  As  all  the  ships  are  exposed  to  some 
risk,  I  shall  divide  my  letters  amongst  them.  I 
write  to  M  M.  de  Coigny,  de  Poix,  de  Noailles,  de 
Segur,  and  to  Madame  d'Ayen.*  If  either  of  these 

*  The  Viscount  de  Coigny,  son  of  the  last  marshal  of  that 
name,  was  the  intimate  friend  of  M.  de  Lafayette  in  his  youth. 
He  died  young,  perhaps  even  during  this  voyage. — (See  the 
letters  of  January  the  6th,  and  February  13th,  1778.)  The 
Count  de  Segur,  who  had  married  the  sister  of  the  Duchess 


94  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778. 

shall  divide  into  small  parties  ;  I  have  already  pur- 
chased horses  and  light  carriages  for  this  purpose. 
There  are  some  French  and  American  vessels  at 
present  here,  who  are  to  sail  out  of  the  harbour  in 
company  to-morrow  morning,  taking  advantage  of 
a  moment  when  the  frigates  are  out  of  sight :  they 
are  numerous  and  armed,  and  have  promised  me  to 
defend  themselves  stoutly  against  the  small  privateers 
they  will  undoubtedly  meet  with.  I  shall  distribute 
my  letters  amongst  the  different  ships,  in  case  any. 
accident  should  happen  to  either  one  of  them. 

I  shall  now  speak  to  you,  my  love,  about  the 
country  and  its  inhabitants,  who  are  as  agreeable  as 
my  enthusiasm  had  led  me  to  imagine.  Simplicity 
of  manner,  kindness  of  heart,  love  of  country  and  of 
liberty,  and  a  delightful  state  of  equality,  are  met 
with  universally.  The  richest  and  the  poorest  man 
are  completely  on  a  level ;  and  although  there  are 
some  immense  fortunes  in  this  country,  I  may  chal- 
lenge any  one  to  point  out  the  slightest  difference 
in  their  respective  manner  towards  each  other.  I 
first  saw  and  judged  of  a  country  life  at  Major 
Hughes 's  house  :  I  am  at  present  in  the  city,  where 
everything  somewhat  resembles  the  English  customs, 
except  that  you  find  more  simplicity  here  than  you 
would  do  in  England.  Charlestown  is  one  of  the 
best  built,  handsomest,  and  most  agreeable  cities 
that  I  have  ever  seen.  The  American  women  are 
very  pretty,  and  have  great  simplicity  of  character  ; 
and  the  extreme  neatness  of  their  appearance  is  truly 
delightful:  cleanliness  is  everywhere  even  more 
studiously  attended  to  here  than  in  England. 
What  gives  me  most  pleasure  is  to  see  how  com- 
pletely the  citizens  are  all  brethren  of  one  family. 
In  America  there  are  none  poor,  and  none  even 
that  can  be  called  peasants.  Each  citizen  has  some 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  95 

property,  and  all  citizens  have  the  same  rights  as 
the  richest  individual,  or  landed  proprietor,  in  the 
country.  The  inns  are  very  different  from  those  of 
Europe  ;  the  host  and  hostess  sit  at  tahle  with  you, 
and  do  the  honours  of  a  comfortable  meal ;  and  when 
you  depart,  you  pay  your  bill  without  being  obliged 
to  tax  it.  If  you  should  dislike  going  to  inns,  you 
may  always  find  country  houses  in  which  you  will 
be  received,  as  a  good  American,  with  the  same 
attention  that  you  might  expect  in  a  friend's  house 
in  Europe. 

My  own  reception  has  been  most  peculiarly  agree- 
able. To  have  been  merely  my  travelling  com- 
panion, suffices  to  secure  the  kindest  welcome.  I 
have  just  passed  five  hours  at  a  large  dinner  given  in 
compliment  to  me  by  an  individual  of  this  town.  Ge- 
nerals Howe  and  Moultrie,  and  several  officers  of  my 
suite,  were  present.  We  drank  each  other's  health, 
and  endeavoured  to  talk  English,  which  I  am  begin- 
ning to  speak  a  little.  I  shall  pay  a  visit  to-morrow, 
with  these  gentlemen,  to  the  governor  of  the  state, 
and  make  the  last  arrangements  for  my  departure. 
The  next  day,  the  commanding  officers  here  will  take 
me  to  see  the  town  and  its  environs,  and  I  shall  then 
set  out  to  join  the  army.  I  must  close  and  send  my 
letter  immediately,  because  the  vessel  goes  to-night 
to  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  and  sails  to-morrow 
at  five  o'clock.  As  all  the  ships  are  exposed  to  some 
risk,  I  shall  divide  my  letters  amongst  them.  I 
write  to  M  M.  de  Coigny,  de  Poix,  de  Noailles,  de 
Segur,  and  to  Madame  d'Ayen.*  If  either  of  these 

*  The  Viscount  de  Coigny,  son  of  the  last  marshal  of  that 
name,  was  the  intimate  friend  of  M.  de  Lafayette  in  his  youth. 
He  died  young,  perhaps  even  during  this  voyage. — (See  the 
letters  of  January  the  6th,  and  February  13th,  1778.)  The 
Count  de  Segur,  who  had  married  the  sister  of  the  Duchess 


96  CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

should  not  receive  my  letter,  be  so  kind  as  to  men- 
tion this  circumstance. 

From  the  agreeable  life  I  lead  in  this  country,  from 
the  sympathy  which  makes  me  feel  as  much  at  ease 
with  the  inhabitants  as  if  I  had  known  them  for 
twenty  years,  the  similarity  between  their  manner  of 
thinking  and  of  my  own,  my  love  of  glory  and  of 
liberty,  you  might  imagine  that  I  am  very  happy  : 
but  you  are  not  with  me,  my  dearest  love  ;  my 
friends  are  not  with  me  ;  and  there  is  no  happiness 
for  me  when  far  from  you  and  them.  I  often  ask 
you  if  you  still  love,  but  I  put  that  question  still 
more  often  to  myself  and  my  heart  ever  answers, 
yes  :  I  trust  that  heart  does  not  deceive  me.  I  am 
inexpressibly  anxious  to  hear  from  you  ;  I  hope  to 
find  some  letters  at  Philadelphia.  My  only  fear  is 
that  the  privateer  which  was  to  bring  them  to  me 
should  have  been  captured  on  her  way.  Although 
I  can  easily  imagine  that  I  have  excited  the  especial 
displeasure  of  the  English,  by  taking  the  liberty  of 
coming  hither  in  spite  of  them,  and  landing  before 
their  very  face,  yet  I  must  confess  that  we  shall  be 
even  more  than  on  a  par  if  they  succeed  in  catching 
that  vessel,  the  object  of  my  fondest  hopes,  by  which 
I  am  expecting  to  receive  your  letters.  I  entreat 
you  to  send  me  both  long  and  frequent  letters.  You 
are  not  sufficiently  conscious  of  the  joy  with  which 
I  shall  receive  them.  Embrace,  most  tenderly, 
my  Henriette :  may  I  add,  embrace  our  children  ? 
The  father  of  those  poor  children  is  a  wanderer, 
but  he  is,  nevertheless,  a  good,  honest  man, — a 
good  father,  warmly  attached  to  his  family,  and 


d'Ayen,  and  who  was.  therefore,  the  uncle  of  M.  de  Lafayette, 
continued,  to  the  last,  his  friend. — (See  the  memoirs  published 
before  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1830.) 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  97 

a  good  husband  also,  for  he  loves  his  wife  most 
tenderly.  Present  my  compliments  to  your  friends 
and  to  mine ;  may  I  not  say  our  friends?  with  the  per- 
mission of  the  Countess  Auguste  and  Madame  de 
Fronsac.*  By  my  friends,  you  know  that  I  mean 
my  own  dear  circle,  formerly  of  the  court,  and 
which  afterwards  became  the  society  of  the  wooden 
sword  ;f  we  republicans  like  it  the  better  for  the 
change.  This  letter  will  be  given  you  by  a  French 
captain,  who,  I  think,  will  deliver  it  into  your  own 
hands ;  but  I  must  confide  to  you  that  I  have  an 
agreeable  anticipation  for  to-morrow,  which  is  to 
write  to  you  by  an  American,  who  will  sail  on 
the  same  day,  but  at  a  later  hour.  Adieu,  then, 
my  dearest  love  ;  I  must  leave  off  for  want  of  time 
and  paper ;  and  if  I  do  not  repeat  ten  thousand  times 
that  I  love  you,  it  is  not  from  want  of  affection,  but 
from  my  having  the  vanity  to  hope  that  I  have 
already  convinced  you  of  it.  The  night  is  far  ad- 
vanced, the  heat  intense,  and  I  am  devoured  by 
gnats ;  but  the  best  countries,  as  you  perceive, 
have  their  inconveniences.  Adieu,  my  love,  adieu. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Petersburg,  July  ]7th,  1777. 

I  AM  very  happy,  my  dearest  love,  if  the  word  hap- 
piness can  truly  be  applied  to  me,  whilst  I  am  se- 
parated from  all  I  love;  there  is  a  vessel  on  the 

*  The  Countess  Auguste  d'Aremberg,  the  wife  of  Count  de 
Lamark,  the  friend  of  Mirabeau,  and  the  Duchess  de  Fronsac, 
daughter-in-law  to  the  Marshal  de  Richelieu. 

f  A  society  of  young  men,  who  first  assembled  at  Versailles, 
and  afterwards  at  an  inn  at  Paris — (Note  by  M.  de  Lafayette.) 

VOL.  I.  H 


98  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778. 

pointof  sailingfor France,  andlam  enabled  to  tell  you, 
before  setting  out  for  Philadelphia,  that  I  love  you, 
my  dearest  life,  and  that  you  may  be  perfectly  tranquil 
respecting  my  health.  I  bore  the  fatigue  of  the 
journey  without  suffering  from  it ;  although  the 
land  expedition  was  long  and  wearisome,  yet  the 
confinement  of  my  melancholy  ship  was  far  more  so. 
I  am  now  eight  days'  journey  from  Philadelphia,  in 
the  beautiful  state  of  Virginia.  All  fatigue  is  over,  and 
I  fear  that  my  martial  labours  will  be  very  light,  if 
it  be  true  that  General  Howe  has  left  New  York,  to 
go  I  know  not  whither.  But  all  the  accounts  I  re- 
ceive are  so  uncertain,  that  I  cannot  form  any  fixed 
opinion  until  I  reach  my  destination  ;  from  thence, 
my  love,  I  shall  write  you  a  long  letter.  You  must 
already  have  received  four  letters  from  me,  if  they 
have  not  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  English.  I 
have  received  no  news  of  you,  and  my  impatience 
to  arrive  at  Philadelphia  to  hear  from  you  cannot 
be  compared  to  any  other  earthly  feeling.  Conceive 
the  state  of  my  mind,  after  having  passed  such  an 
immense  length  of  time  without  having  received  a 
line  from  any  friend !  I  hope  all  this  will  soon  end, 
for  I  cannot  live  in  such  a  state  of  uncertainty.  I 
have  undertaken  a  task  which  is,  in  truth,  beyond 
my  power,  for  my  heart  was  not  formed  for  so  much 
suffering. 

You  must  have  learnt  the  particulars  of  the  com- 
mencement of  my  journey:  you  know  that  I  set 
out  in  a  brilliant  manner  in  a  carriage,  and  I  must 
now  tell  you  that  we  are  all  on  horseback, — having 
broken  the  carriage,  according  to  my  usual  praise- 
worthy custom, — and  I  hope  soon  to  write  to  you 
that  we  have  arrived  on  foot.  The  journey  is  some- 
what fatiguing ;  but  although  several  of  my  com- 
rades have  suffered  a  great  deal,  I  have  scarcely 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  99 

myself  been  conscious  of  fatigue.  The  captain  who 
takes  charge  of  this  letter  will,  perhaps,  pay  you  a 
visit ;  I  beg  you  in  that  case  to  receive  him  with 
great  kindness. 

I  scarcely  dare  think  of  the  time  of  your  confine- 
ment, and  yet  I  think  of  it  every  moment  of  the 
day.  I  cannot  dwell  upon  it  without  the  most 
dreadful  anxiety.  I  am,  indeed,  unfortunate,  at 
being  so  distant  from  you  ;  even  if  you  did  not  love 
me,  you  ought  to  pity  me  ;  but  you  do  love  me, 
and  we  shall  mutually  render  each  other  happy. 
This  little  note  will  be  short  in  comparison  to  the 
volumes  I  have  already  sent  you,  but  you  shall  re- 
ceive another  letter  in  a  few  days  from  me. 

The  farther  I  advance  to  the  north,  the  better 
pleased  am  I  with  the  country  and  inhabitants. 
There  is  no  attention  or  kindness  that  I  do  not  re- 
ceive, although  many  scarcely  know  who  I  am. 
But  I  will  write  all  this  to  you  more  in  detail  from 
Philadelphia.  I  have  only  time  to  intreat  you,  my 
dearest  love,  not  to  forget  an  unhappy  man,  who 
pays  most  dearly  for  the  error  he  committed  in 
parting  from  you,  and  who  never  felt  before  how 
tenderly  he  loved  you. 

My  respectful  compliments  to  Madame  d'Ayen, 
and  my  affectionate  regards  to  my  sisters.  Tell  M. 
de  Coigny  and  M.  de  Poix  that  I  am  in  good  health, 
in  case  some  letters  should  miscarry  which  I  shall 
send  by  another  opportunity,  by  which  I  shall  also 
send  a  line  to  you,  although  I  do  not  consider  it  so 
secure  as  this  one. 


100      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

July  23rd,  1777. 

I  AM  always  meeting,  my  dearest  love,  with  oppor- 
tunities of  sending  letters  ;  I  have  this  time  only  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  to  give  you.  The  vessel  is  on 
the  point  of  sailing,  and  I  can  only  announce  to  you 
my  safe  arrival  at  Annapolis,  forty  leagues  from 
Philadelphia.  I  can  tell  you  nothing  of  the  town, 
for,  as  I  alighted  from  my  horse,  I  armed  myself 
with  a  little  weapon  dipt  in  invisible  ink.  You 
must  already  have  received  five  letters  from  me,  un- 
less King  George  should  have  received  some  of 
them.  The  last  one  was  despatched  three  days 
since  ;  in  it  I  announced  to  you  that  my  health  was 
perfectly  good,  and  had  not  been  even  impaired  by 
my  anxiety  to  arrive  at  Philadelphia.  I  have  re- 
ceived bad  news  here ;  Ticonderoga,  the  strongest 
American  post,  has  been  forced  by  the  enemy ;  this 
is  very  unfortunate,  and  we  must  endeavour  to  repair 
the  evil.  Our  troops  have  taken,  in  retaliation,  an 
English  general  officer,  near  New  York.  I  am  each 
day  more  miserable  from  having  quitted  you,  my 
dearest  love  ;  I  hope  to  receive  news  of  you  at  Phila- 
delphia, and  this  hope  adds  much  to  the  impatience 
I  feel  to  arrive  in  that  city.  Adieu,  my  life  ;  I  am 
in  such  haste  that  I  know  not  what  I  write,  but  I  do 
know  that  I  love  you  more  tenderly  than  ever ;  that 
the  pain  of  this  separation  was  necessary  to  convince 
me  how  very  dear  you  are  to  me,  and  that  I  would 
give  at  this  moment  half  my  existence  for  the  plea- 
sure of  embracing  you  again,  and  telling  you  with 
my  own  lips  how  well  I  love  you.  My  respects  to 
Madame  d'Ayen,  my  compliments  to  the  viscountess, 
my  sisters,  and  all  my  friends :  to  you  only  have  I 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       101 

time  to  write.  O  !  if  you  knew  how  much  I  sigh 
to  see  you,  how  much  I  suffer  at  being  separated 
from  you,  and  all  that  my  heart  has  been  called  on 
to  endure,  you  would  think  me  somewhat  worthy  of 
your  love  !  I  have  left  no  space  for  Henriette  ;  may 
I  say  for  my  children?  Give  them  an  hundred 
thousand  embraces  ;  I  shall  most  heartily  share 
them  with  you. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Philadelphia,  September  12th,  1777. 

I  WRITE  you  a  line,  my  dearest  love,  by  some 
French  officers,  my  friends,  who  embarked  with 
me,  but,  not  having  received  any  appointment  in 
the  American  army,  are  returning  to  France.  I 
must  begin  by  telling  you  that  I  am  perfectly  well, 
because  I  must  end  by  telling  you  that  we  fought 
seriously  last  night,  and  that  we  were  not  the 
strongest  on  the  field  of  battle.  Our  Americans, 
after  having  stood  their  ground  for  some  time,  ended 
at  length  by  being  routed :  whilst  endeavouring  to 
rally  them,  the  English  honoured  me  with  a  musket 
ball,  which  slightly  wounded  me  in  the  leg, — but  U 
is  a  trifle,  my  dearest  love  ;  the  ball  touched  neither 
bone  nor  nerve,  and  I  have  escaped  with  the  obli- 
gation of  lying  on  my  back  for  some  time,  which 
puts  me  much  out  of  humour.  I  hope  that  you 
will  feel  no  anxiety  ;  this  event  ought,  on  the  con- 
trary, rather  to  reassure  you,  since  I  am  incapacitated 
from  appearing  on  the  field  for  some  time  :  I  have 
resolved  to  take  great  care  of  myself ;  be  convinced 
of  this,  my  love.  This  affair,  will,  I  fear,  be  at- 
tended with  bad  consequences  for  America.  We 


102       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

will  endeavour,  if  possible,  to  repair  the  evil.  You 
must  have  received  many  letters  from  me,  unless 
the  English  be  equally  ill-disposed  towards  my 
epistles  as  towards  my  legs.  I  have  not  yet  re- 
ceived one  letter,  and  I  am  most  impatient  to  hear 
from  you.  Adieu  ;  I  am  forbidden  to  write  longer. 
For  several  days  I  have  not  had  time  to  sleep. 
Our  retreat,  and  my  journey  hither,  took  up  the 
whole  of  last  night ;  I  am  perfectly  well  taken  care  of 
in  this  place.  Tell  all  my  friends  that  I  am  in  good 
health.  My  tender  respects  to  Madame  d'Ayen. 
A  thousand  compliments  to  the  viscountess  and  my 
sisters.  The  officers  will  soon  set  out.  They  will 
see  you  ;  what  pleasure  !  Good  night,  my  dearest 
life !  I  love  you  better  than  ever. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

October  1st,  1777. 

I  WROTE  to  you,  my  dearest  love,  the  12th  of  Sep- 
tember ;  the  twelfth  was  the  day  after  the  eleventh, 
and  I  have  a  little  tale  to  relate  to  you  concerning 
that  eleventh  day.  To  render  my  action  more  me- 
ritorious, I  might  tell  you  that  prudent  reflections 
induced  me  to  remain  for  some  weeks  in  my  bed, 
safe  sheltered  from  all  danger ;  but  I  must  acknow- 
ledge that  I  was  encouraged  to  take  this  measure  by 
a  slight  wound,  which  I  met  with  I  know  not  how, 
for  I  did  not,  in  truth,  expose  myself  to  peril.  It 
was  the  first  conflict  at  which  I  had  been  present ; 
so  you  see  how  very  rare  engagements  are.  It  will 
be  the  last  of  this  campaign,  or,  in  all  probability,  at 
least,  the  last  great  battle  ;  and  if  anything  should 
occur,  you  see  that  I  could  not  myself  be  present. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       103 

You  may,  therefore,  my  love,  feel  perfectly  se- 
cure, I  have  much  pleasure  in  thus  reassuring  you. 
While  I  am  desiring  you  not  to  be  alarmed  on 
my  account,  I  repeat  to  myself  that  you  love  me  ; 
and  this  little  conversation  with  my  own  heart  is 
inexpressibly  delightful  to  me,  for  I  love  you  more 
tenderly  than  I  have  ever  done  before. 

My  first  occupation  was  to  write  to  you  the  day 
after  that  affair :  I  told  you  that  it  was  a  mere  trifle, 
and  I  was  right ;  all  I  fear  is  that  you  should  not 
have  received  my  letter.  As  General  Howe  is 
giving,  in  the  meantime,  rather  pompous  details  of 
his  American  exploits  to  the  king  his  master,  if  he 
should  write  word  that  I  am  wounded,  he  may  also 
write  word  that  I  am  killed,  which  would  not  cost 
him  anything  ;  but  I  hope  that  my  friends,  and  you 
especially,  will  not  give  faith  to  the  reports  of  those 
persons  who  last  year  dared  to  publish  that  General 
Washington,  and  all  the  general  officers  of  his  army, 
being  in  a  boat  together,  had  been  upset,  and  every 
individual  drowned.  But  let  us  speak  about  the 
wound :  it  is  only  a  flesh-wound,  and  has  neither 
touched  bone  nor  nerve.  The  surgeons  are  asto- 
nished at  the  rapidity  with  which  it  heals  ;  they  are 
in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  each  time  they  dress  it,  and  pre- 
tend it  is  the  finest  thing  in  the  world  :  for  my  part, 
I  think  it  most  disagreeable,  painful,  and  wearisome  ; 
but  tastes  often  differ  :  if  a  man,  however,  wished 
to  be  wounded  for  his  amusement  only,  he  should 
come  and  examine  how  I  have  been  struck,  that  he 
might  be  struck  precisely  in  the  same  manner.  This, 
my  dearest  love,  is  what  I  pompously  style  my 
wound,  to  give  myself  airs,  and  render  myself  inter- 


esting. 


I  must  now  give  you  your  lesson,  as  wife  of  an 
American  general  officer.     They  will  say  to  you, 


104      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

"  They  have  been  beaten :"  you  must  answer, — 
"  That  is  true  ;  but  when  two  armies  of  equal  num- 
ber meet  in  the  field,  old  soldiers  have  naturally  the 
advantage  over  new  ones ;  they  have,  besides,  had 
the  pleasure  of  killing  a  great  many  of  the  enemy, 
many  more  than  they  have  lost."  They  will  after- 
wards add  :  "  All  that  is  very  well ;  but  Philadelphia 
is  taken,  the  capital  of  America,  the  rampart  of  li- 
berty!"  You  must  politely  answer,  "You  are  all 
great  fools  !  Philadelphia  is  a  poor  forlorn  town, 
exposed  on  every  side,  whose  harbour  was  already 
closed;  though  the  residence  of  congress  lent  it,  I 
know  not  why,  some  degree  of  celebrity.  This  is  the 
famous  city  which,  be  it  added,  we  will,  sooner  or 
later,  make  them  yield  back  to  us."  If  they  con- 
tinue to  persecute  you  with  questions,  you  may  send 
them  about  their  business  in  terms  which  the  Vis- 
count de  Noailles  will  teach  you,  for  I  cannot  lose 
time  by  talking  to  you  of  politics. 

I  have  delayed  writing  your  letter  till  the  last,  in  the 
hope  of  receiving  one  from  you,  answering  it,  and 
giving  you  the  latest  intelligence  of  my  health  ;  but 
1  am  told,  if  I  do  not  send  immediately  to  congress, 
twenty-five  leagues  from  hence,  my  captain  will 
have  set  out,  and  I  shall  lose  the  opportunity  of 
writing  to  you.  This  is  the  cause  of  my  scrawl 
being  more  unintelligible  than  usual ;  however,  if  I 
were  to  send  you  anything  but  an  hurried  scrawl,  I 
ought,  in  that  case,  to  beg  your  pardon,  from  the 
singularity  of  the  case.  Recollect,  my  dearest  love, 
that  I  have  only  once  heard  of  you,  from  Count 
Pulaski.  I  am  much  provoked,  and  am  very  miser- 
able. Imagine  how  dreadful  it  is  to  be  far  from 
all  I  love,  in  this  state  of  suspense  and  almost  de- 
spair; it  is  impossible  to  support  it ;  and  I  feel,  at  the 
same  time,  that  I  do  not  deserve  to  be  pitied.  Why 


CORRESPONDENCE— 1777,  1778.       105 

was  I  so  obstinately  bent  on  coming  hither  ?  I  have 
been  well  punished  for  my  error  ;  my  affections  are 
too  strongly  rooted  for  me  to  be  able  to  perform  such 
deeds.  I  hope  you  pity  me  ;  if  you  knew  all  I 
suffer,  especially  at  this  moment,  when  everything 
concerning  you  is  so  deeply  interesting  !  I  cannot, 
without  shuddering,  think  of  this.  I  am  told  that 
a  parcel  has  arrived  from  France ;  I  have  despatched 
expresses  on  every  road  and  in  every  corner  ;  I  have 
sent  an  officer  to  congress  ;  I  am  expecting  him 
every  day,  and  you  may  conceive  with  what  feelings 
of  intense  anxiety.  My  surgeon  is  also  very  anxi- 
ous for  his  arrival,  for  this  suspense  keeps  my  blood 
in  a  state  of  effervescence,  and  he  would  fain  re- 
quire that  it  should  flow  calmly.  O,  my  dearest 
life,  if  I  receive  good  news  from  you,  and  all  I  love, 
— if  those  delightful  letters  arrive  to-day,  how 
happy  I  shall  be  ! — but  with  what  agitation,  also,  I 
shall  open  them ! 

Be  perfectly  at  ease  about  my  wound ;  all  the 
faculty  in  America  are  engaged  in  my  service.  I 
have  a  friend,  who  has  spoken  to  them  in  such  a 
manner  that  I  am  certain  of  being  well  attended  to  ; 
that  friend  is  General  Washington.  This  excel- 
lent man,  whose  talents  and  virtues  I  admired,  and 
whom  I  have  learnt  to  revere  as  I  know  him  better, 
has  now  become  my  intimate  friend  :  his  affectionate 
interest  in  ine  instantly  won  my  heart.  I  am  esta- 
blished in  his  house,  and  we  live  together  like  two 
attached  brothers,  with  mutual  confidence  and  cor- 
diality. This  friendship  renders  me  as  happy  as  I 
can  possibly  be  in  this  country.  When  he  sent  his 
best  surgeon  to  me,  he  told  him  to  take  charge  of 
me  as  if  I  were  his  son,  because  he  loved  me  with 
the  same  affection.  Having  heard  that  I  wished  to 


106          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

rejoin  the  army  too  soon,  he  wrote  me  a  letter  full 
of  tenderness,  in  which  he  requested  me  to  attend 
to  the  perfect  restoration  of  my  health.  I  give  you 
these  details,  my  dearest  love,  that  you  may  feel 
quite  certain  of  the  care  that  is  taken  of  me. 
Amongst  the  French  officers,  who  have  all  expressed 
the  warmest  interest  for  me,  M.  de  Gimat,  my  aide-de- 
camp, has  followed  me  about  like  my  shadow,  both 
before  and  since  the  battle,  and  has  given  me  every 
possible  proof  of  attachment.  You  may  thus  feel 
quite  secure  on  this  account,  both  for  the  present 
and  for  the  future. 

All  the  foreigners  who  are  in  the  army, — for  I  do 
not  speak  only  of  those  who  have  not  been  employed, 
and  who,  on  their  return  to  France,  will  naturally 
give  an  unjust  account  of  America,  because  the  dis- 
contented, anxious  to  revenge  their  fancied  injuries, 
cannot  be  impartial, — all  the  foreigners,  I  say,  who 
have  been  employed  here  are  dissatisfied,  complain, 
detest  others,  and  are  themselves  detested  :  they  do 
not  understand  why  I  am  the  only  stranger  beloved 
in  America,  and  I  cannot  understand  why  they  are 
so  much  hated.  In  the  midst  of  the  disputes  and 
dissensions  common  to  all  armies,  especially  when 
there  are  officers  of  various  nations,  I,  for  my  part, 
who  am  an  easy  and  a  good-tempered  man,  am  so  for- 
tunate as  to  be  loved  by  all  parties,  both  foreigners 
and  Americans  :  I  love  them  all — I  hope  I  deserve 
their  esteem  ;  and  we  are  perfectly  satisfied  the 
one  with  the  other.  I  am  at  present  in  the  soli- 
tude of  Bethlehem,  which  the  Abbe  Raynal  has  de- 
scribed so  minutely.  This  establishment  is  a  very 
interesting  one  ;  the  fraternity  lead  an  agreeable  and 
very  tranquil  life  :  we  will  talk  over  all  this  on  my 
return;  and  I  intend  to  weary  those  I  love,  yourself, 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       107 

of  course,  in  the  first  place,  by  the  relation  of  my 
adventures,  for  you  know  that  I  was  always  a  great 
prattler. 

You  must  become  a  prattler  also,  my  love,  and 
say  many  things  for  me  to  Henriette — my  poor  little 
Henriette  !  embrace  her  a  thousand  times — talk  of 
me  to  her,  but  do  not  tell  her  all  I  deserve  to  suffer ; 
my  punishment  will  be,  not  to  be  recognised  by  her 
on  my  arrival ;  that  is  the  penance  Henriette  will 
impose  on  me.  Has  she  a  brother  or  a  sister  ? — the 
choice  is  quite  indifferent  to  me,  provided  I  have  a 
second  time  the  pleasure  of  being  a  father,  and  that 
I  may  soon  learn  that  circumstance.  If  I  should 
have  a  son,  I  will  tell  him  to  examine  his  own  heart 
carefully ;  and  if  that  heart  should  be  a  tender 
one,  if  he  should  have  a  wife  whom  he  loves  as  I 
love  you,  in  that  case  I  shall  advise  him  not  to  give 
way  to  feelings  of  enthusiasm,  which  would  separate 
him  from  the  object  of  his  affection,  for  that  affec- 
tion will  afterwards  give  rise  to  a  thousand  dreadful 
fears. 

I  am  writing,  by  a  different  opportunity,  to  vari- 
ous persons,  and  also  to  yourself.  I  think  this  letter 
will  arrive  first ;  if  this  vessel  should  accidentally 
arrive,  and  the  other  one  be  lost,  I  have  given  the 
viscount  a  list  of  the  letters  I  have  addressed  to 
him.  1  forgot  to  mention  my  aunts  ;*  give  them 
news  of  me  as  soon  as  this  reaches  you.  I  have 
made  no  duplicata  for  you,  because  I  write  to  you 
by  every  opportunity.  Give  news  of  me,  also,  to 
M.  Margelay,t  the  Abbe*  Fay  on,  and  Desplaces. 


*  Madame  de  Chavaniac  and  Madame  de  Motier,  sisters  of 
General  Lafayette's  father. 

f  An  ancient  officer,  to  whom  M.  de  Lafayette  was  confided,  on 
leaving  college,  as  to  a  governor. 


108      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

A  thousand  tender  regards  to  my  sisters  ;  I  permit 
them  to  despise  me  as  an  infamous  deserter — but  they 
must  also  love  me  at  the  same  time.  My  respects  to 
Madame  la  Comtesse  Auguste,  and  Madame  de 
Fronsac.  If  my  grandfather's  letters  should  not 
reach  him,  present  to  him  my  respectful  and  affec- 
tionate regards.  Adieu,  adieu,  my  dearest  life;  con- 
tinue to  love  me,  for  I  love  you  most  tenderly. 

Present  my  compliments  to  Dr.  Franklin  and  Mr. 
Deane  ;  I  wished  to  write  to  them,  but  cannot  find 
time. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES, 

MINISTER  OF  FOREIGN  AFFAIRS. 

Whitemarsh  Camp,  October  24, 1777. 

SIR, — You  were  formerly  annoyed,  much  against 
my  wish,  by  the  part  you  were  called  upon  to  take 
in"  my  first  projects  ;  you  will,  perhaps,  also  feel 
annoyed  by  the  attention  I  take  the  liberty  of  re- 
questing you  to  give  to  the  objects  I  have  at  pre- 
sent in  view.  They  may  appear  to  you  as  little 
worthy  as  the  first  of  occupying  your  valuable  time ; 
but  in  this  case,  as  in  the  previous  one,  my  good 
intentions  (even  should  they  be  ill-directed)  may 
serve  as  my  apology.  My  age  might  also,  perhaps, 
have  been  one,  formerly ;  I  only  request  now  that  it 
may  not  prevent  you  from  taking  into  consideration 
whether  my  opinions  be  rational. 

I  do  not  permit  myself  to  examine  what  succour 
the  glorious  cause  we  are  defending  in  America  may 
have  received  ;  but  my  love  for  my  own  country 
makes  me  observe,  with  pleasure,  under  how  many 
points  of  view  the  vexations  of  the  family  of  Eng- 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       109 

land  may  be  advantageous  to  her.  There  is,  above 
all,  one'  project  which,  in  every  case,  and  at  all 
events,  would  present,  I  think,  rational  hopes  of  at- 
taining any  useful  end,  in  exact  proportion  to  the 
means  employed  in  its  execution  ;  I  allude  to  an 
expedition  of  greater  or  less  importance  against  the 
East  Indies  ;  and  I  should  fear  to  injure  the  cause  by 
proposing  myself  to  take  charge  of  it. 

Without  pretending  to  the  art  of  prophecy  in  re- 
lation to  present  events,  but  convinced  in  the  sin- 
cerity of  my  heart  that  to  injure  England  would  be 
serving  (shall  I  say  revenging?)  my  country,  I  believe 
that  this  idea  would  powerfully  excite  the  energy 
of  each  individual  bearing  the  honourable  name  of 
Frenchman.  I  came  hither  without  permission  ;  I 
have  obtained  no  approbation  but  that  which  may 
be  implied  by  silence  ;  I  might  also  undertake  an- 
other little  voyage  without  having  been  authorized 
by  government :  if  the  success  be  uncertain,  I  should 
have  the  advantage  of  exposing  only  myself  to 
danger, — and  what  should,  therefore,  prevent  my 
being  enterprising  ?  If  I  could  but  succeed  in  the 
slightest  degree,  a  flame  kindled  on  the  least  im- 
portant establishment  of  England,  even  if  part  of 
my  own  fortune  were  to  be  consumed  also,  would 
satisfy  my  heart  by  awakening  hopes  for  a  more 
propitious  hour. 

Guided  by  the  slight  knowledge  which  my  igno- 
rance has  been  able  to  obtain,  I  shall  now  state  in 
what  manner,  Sir,  I  would  undertake  this  enter- 
prise. An  American  patent,  to  render  my  move- 
ments regular,  the  trifling  succours  by  which  it 
might  be  sustained,  the  assistance  I  might  obtain  at 
the  French  islands,  the  speculations  of  some  mer- 
chants, the  voluntary  aid  of  a  few  of  my  fellow 


110       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

comrades, — such  are  the  feeble  resources  which 
would  enable  me  to  land  peacefully  on  the  Isle  of 
France.  I  should  there  find,  I  believe,  privateers 
ready  to  assist  me,  and  men  to  accompany  me  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  lie  in  wait  for  the  vessels  re- 
turning from  China,  which  would  offer  me  a  fresh 
supply  of  force,  sufficient  perhaps  to  enable  me  to 
fall  upon  one  or  two  of  their  factories,  and  destroy 
them  before  they  could  be  protected.  With  an  aid, 
which  I  dare  scarcely  hope  would  be  granted  me, 
and,  above  all,  with  talents  which  I  am  far  from 
having  yet  acquired,  might  not  some  advantage  be 
taken  of  the  jealousy  of  the  different  nabobs,  the 
hatred  of  the  Mahrattas,  the  venality  of  the  sepoys, 
and  the  effeminacy  of  the  English  ?  Might  not  the 
crowd  of  Frenchmen  dispersed  at  present  on  that 
coast  be  employed  with  advantage  in  the  cause  ? 
As  to  myself  personally,  in  any  case,  the  fear  of 
compromising  my  own  country  would  prevent  my 
acknowledging  the  pride  I  feel  in  being  her  son, 
even  as  the  nobility  in  some  provinces  occasionally 
lay  aside  their  marks  of  distinction  to  reassume  them 
at  a  later  period. 

Although  by  no  means  blind  as  to  the  impru- 
dence of  the  step,  I  would  have  hazarded  this  enter- 
prise alone,  if  the  fear  of  injuring  the  interests  I  wish 
to  serve,  by  not  sufficiently  understanding  them,  or 
of  proving  a  detriment  to  some  better-concerted  ex- 
pedition, had  not  arrested  my  intended  movements ; 
for  I  have  the  vanity  to  believe  that  a  project  of  this 
kind  may  one  day  be  executed  on  a  grander  scale, 
and  by  far  abler  hands,  than  mine.  Even  now  it 
might  be  executed  in  a  manner  that  would,  I  think, 
insure  success,  if  I  could  hope  to  receive  from  the 
government,  not  an  order,  not  succours,  not  mere 


CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778.  Ill 

indifference, — but  I  know  scarcely  what,  which.  I 
can  find  no  language  to  express  with  sufficient 
delicacy. 

In  this  case,  an  order  from  the  king,  should  he 
deign  to  restore  me  for  some  time  to  my  friends  and 
family,  without  prohibiting  my  return  hither,  would 
give  me  a  hint  to  prepare  myself  with  American 
continental  commissions ;  some  preparations  and 
instructions  from  France  might  also  precede  that 
pretended  return,  and  conduct  me  straight  to 
the  East  Indies  :  the  silence  which  was  formerly 
perhaps  an  error,  would  then  become  a  sacred 
duty,  and  would  serve  to  conceal  my  true  destina- 
tion, and  above  all  the  sort  of  approbation  it  might 
receive. 

Such,  Sir,  are  the  ideas  that,  duly  impressed  with 
a  sense  of  my  incapacity  and  youth,  I  presume  to 
submit  to  your  better  judgment,  and,  if  you  should 
think  favourably  of  them,  to  the  various  modifi- 
cations to  which  you  may  conceive  them  liable ;  I 
am  certain,  at  least,  that  they  cannot  be  deemed 
ridiculous,  because  they  are  inspired  by  a  laudable 
motive — the  love  of  my  country.  I  only  ask  for 
the  honour  of  serving  her  under  other  colours,  and 
I  rejoice  at  seeing  her  interest  united  to  that  of  the 
republicans  for  whom  I  am  combating  ;  earnestly 
hoping,  however,  that  I  shall  soon  be  allowed  to 
fight  under  the  French  banner.  A  commission  of 
grenadier  in  the  king's  army  would,  in  that  case,  be 
more  agreeable  to  me  than  the  highest  rank  in  a 
foreign  army. 

I  reproach  myself  too  much,  Sir,  for  thus  offering 
you  my  undigested  ideas  regarding  Asia,  to  heighten 
my  offence  by  presumptuously  tracing  a  plan  of 
America,  embellished  with  my  own  reflections, 


112      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

which  you  do  not  require,  and  have  not  asked  for  : 
the  zeal  which  led  me  hither,  and,  above  all,  the 
friendship  which  unites  me  to  the  general-in-chief, 
would  render  me  liable  to  the  accusation  of  par- 
tiality, from  which  feeling  I  flatter  myself  I  am 
wholly  free.  I  reserve  till  my  return  the  honour  of 
mentioning  to  you  the  names  of  those  officers  of 
merit  whom  the  love  of  their  profession  has  led  to 
this  continent.  All  those  who  are  French,  Sir, 
have  a  right  to  feel  confidence  in  you.  It  is  on  this 
ground  that  I  claim  your  indulgence ;  I  have  a 
second  claim  upon  it  from  the  respect  with  which 
I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

Your  very  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

LAFAYETTE, 

If  this  letter  should  weary  you,  Sir,  the  manner 
in  which  it  will  reach  you  may  be  deemed  perhaps 
but  too  secure.  I  entrust  it  to  M.  de  Valfort,  cap- 
tain of  the  regiment  of  Aunis,  with  the  commission 
of  colonel  in  our  islands,  whom  his  talents,  repu- 
tation, and  researches,  have  rendered  useful  in  this 
country,  and  whom  the  wishes  of  General  Wash- 
ington would  have  detained  here,  if  his  health  had 
not  rendered  it  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to  re- 
turn to  France.  I  shall  here  await  your  orders, 
(which  cannot,  without  difficulty,  enter  an  Ame- 
rican harbour,)  or  I  shall  go  myself  to  receive 
them,  as  future  circumstances  may  render  proper ; 
for,  since  my  arrival,  I  have  not  received  one  order 
which  could*  regulate  my  movements. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       113 


TO    MADAME    DE    LAFAYETTE. 

The  Camp  near  Whitemarsh,  Oct.  29th,  1777. 
I  SEND  you  an  open  letter,  my  dearest  love,  in  the 
person  of  M.  de  Valfort,  my  friend,  whom  I  entreat 
you  to  receive  as  such.  He  will  tell  you  at  length 
everything  concerning  me ;  but  I  must  tell  you 
myself  how  well  I  love  you.  I  have  too  much 
pleasure  in  experiencing  this  sentiment  not  to  have 
also  pleasure  in  repeating  it  to  you  a  thousand 
times,  if  that  were  possible.  I  have  no  resource 
left  me,  my  love,  but  to  write  and  write  again,  with- 
out even  hoping  that  my  letters  will  ever  reach 
you,  and  I  endeavour  to  console  myself,  by  the  plea- 
sure of  conversing  with  you,  for  the  disappointment 
and  anguish  of  not  receiving  one  single  line  from 
France.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  to  you  how 
completely  my  heart  is  torn  by  anxiety  and  fear  ; 
nor  should  I  wish  to  express  all  I  feel,  even  if  it 
were  in  my  power  to  do  so  ;  for  I  would  not  disturb, 
by  any  painful  impressions,  the  happiest  moments 
of  my  exile — those  in  which  I  can  speak  to  you  of 
my  tenderness.  But  do  you,  at  least,  pity  me  ?  Do 
you  comprehend  all  that  I  endure  ?  If  I  could  only 
know  at  this  moment  where  you  are,  and  what  you 
are  doing  !  but  in  the  course  of  time  I  shall  learn 
all  this,  for  I  am  not  separated  from  you  in  reality, 
as  if  I  were  dead.  I  am  expecting  your  letters  with 
an  impatience,  from  which  nothing  can  for  an  in- 
stant divert  my  thoughts  :  every  one  tells  me  they 
must  soon  arrive  ;  but  can  I  rely  on  this  ?  Neglect 
not  one  opportunity  of  writing  to  me,  if  my  happi- 
ness be  still  dear  to  you.  Repeat  to  me  that  you 
love  me  :  the  less  I  merit  your  affection,  the  more 
necessary  to  me  are  your  consoling  assurances  of  it. 

VOL.   I.  I 


114       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778, 

You  must  have  received  so  many  accounts  of  my 
slight  wound,  that  all  repetitions  on  the  subject 
would  he  useless  ;  and  if  you  ever  believed  it  was 
anything  serious,  M.  de  Valfort  can  undeceive  you. 
In  a  very  short  time  I  shall  not  even  be  lame. 

Is  it  not  dreadful,  my  love,  to  reflect  that  it  is 
by  the  public,  by  English  papers,  by  our  enemy's 
gazettes,  that  I  should  receive  intelligence  concern- 
ing you  ?  In  an  unimportant  article  relating  to  my 
arrival  here,  they  ended  by  speaking  of  yourself, 
your  situation,  and  approaching  confinement ;  that 
source  of  all  my  fears,  agitations,  hopes,  and  joy. 
How  happy  I  should  feel  if  I  could  learn  that  I  had 
become  a  second  time  a  father,  that  you  are  in  good 
health,  that  my  two  children  and  their  mother  are 
likely  to  constitute  the  felicity  of  my  future  life  1 
This  country  is  delightful  for  the  growth  of  filial 
and  paternal  love :  these  feelings  may  even  be 
termed  passions,  and  give  rise  to  the  most  assidu- 
ous and  unremitting  care.  The  news  of  your  con- 
finement will  be  received  with  joy  by  the  whole 
army,  and  above  all  by  its  commander. 

I  shall  find  my  poor  little  Henriette  very  amusing 
on  my  return.  I  hope  she  will  deliver  a  long  sermon 
of  reproof,  and  that  she  will  speak  to  me  with  all 
the  frankness  of  friendship  ;  for  my  daughter  will 
be  always,  I  trust,  my  most  intimate  friend  ;  I  will 
only  be  a  father  in  affection,  and  paternal  love  shall 
unite  in  my  heart  with  friendship.  Embrace  her, 
my  love, — may  I  say  embrace  them? — for  me  !  But  I 
will  not  dwell  upon  all  I  suffer  from  this  painful 
uncertainty.  I  know  that  you  share  all  the  sorrows 
of  my  heart,  and  I  will  not  afflict  you.  I  wrote  by 
the  last  opportunity  to  Madame  d'Ayen  ;  since  my 
wound  I  have  written  to  everybody  ;  but  those  let- 
ters have  perhaps  been  lost.  It  is  not  my  fault ;  I 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       115 

wish  to  return  a  little  evil  to  those  wicked  letter- 
stealers  when  they  are  on  land,  but  on  the  sea  I 
have  only  the  consolation  of  the  weak,  that  of 
cursing  heartily  those  of  whom  you  cannot  be  re- 
venged. A  thousand  tender  respects  to  your  mo- 
ther ;  my  kind  regards  to  your  sisters.  Do  not 
forget  my  compliments  to  the  Marshal  de  Noailles, 
and  to  your  paternal  and  material  relations.  I 
have  received  four  foolish  lines  from  the  Marshal 
de  Mouchy,  who  does  not  say  one  word  of  you  ;  I 
swore  at  him  in  every  language.  Adieu,  my  love, 
adieu  ;  ask  questions  of  my  good,  excellent  friend, 
M.  de  Valfort,  for  my  paper  is  coming  to  a  close. 
It  is  dreadful  to  be  reduced  to  hold  no  communi- 
cation but  by  letter  with  a  person  whom  one  loves 
as  I  love  you,  and  as  I  shall  ever  love  you,  until  I 
draw  my  latest  breath. 

I  have  not  missed  a  single  opportunity,  not  even 
the  most  indirect  one,  without  writing  to  you.  Do 
the  same  also  on  your  side,  my  dearest  life,  if  you 
love  me  ;  but  I  should  indeed  be  unfeeling  and  un- 
grateful if  I  were  to  doubt  your  love. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Camp  of  Whitemarsh,  November  6th,  1777. 
You  will  perhaps  receive  this  letter,  my  dearest 
love,  at  the  expiration  of  five  or  six  years,  for  I  am 
writing  to  you  by  an  accidental  opportunity,  in 
which  I  do  not  place  great  trust.  See  what  a  circuit 
my  letter  must  make.  An  officer  in  the  army  will 
carry  it  to  Fort  Pitt,  three  hundred  miles  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  continent ;  it  will  then  embark  on  the 
great  Ohio  river,  and  traverse  regions  inhabited  only 

i  2 


116  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,1778. 

by  savages  ;  having  reached  New  Orleans,  a  small 
vessel  will  transport  it  to  the  Spanish  islands  ;  a 
ship  of  that  nation — God  knows  when ! — will  carry  it 
with  her  on  her  return  to  Europe.  But  it  will  even 
then  be  very  distant  from  you  ;  and  it  is  only  after 
having  been  soiled  by  the  dirty  hands  of  all  the 
Spanish  post-masters  that  it  will  be  allowed  to  pass 
the  Pyrenees.  It  may  very  possibly  be  unsealed 
and  resealed  five  or  six  times  before  it  be  finally 
placed  in  your  hands  ;  but  it  will  prove  to  you  that 
I  neglect  no  opportunity,  not  even  the  most  indirect 
one,  of  sending  you  news  of  myself,  and  of  repeating 
how  well  I  love  you.  It  is,  however,  for  my  own 
satisfaction  only  that  I  delight  to  tell  you  so  at 
present ;  I  hope  that  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of 
throwing  this  letter  in  the  fire  when  it  arrives,  for 
be  it  understood  I  shall  be  there  also,  and  my  pre- 
sence will  render  this  piece  of  paper  very  insignifi- 
cant. The  idea  is  most  soothing  to  my  heart,  and 
I  indulge  it  with  rapture.  How  enchanting  to  think 
of  the  moments  when  we  shall  be  together  !  but  how 
painful  also  to  recollect  that  my  joy  is  only  caused 
by  an  illusion,  and  that  I  am  separated  from  the 
reality  of  my  happiness  by  two  thousand  leagues, 
an  immense  ocean,  and  villanous  English  vessels  ! 
Those  wretched  vessels  make  me  very  unhappy. 
One  letter,  one  letter  only,  have  I  yet  received  from 
you,  my  love  ;  the  others  have  been  lost  or  taken, 
and  are  probably  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  I  must 
consider  our  enemy  the  cause  of  this  dreadful  loss ; 
for  I  am  certain  you  do  not  neglect  to  write  to  me 
from  every  port,  and  by  all  the  despatches  sent  by 
Dr.  Franklin  and  Mr.  JDeane.  And  yet  some  ships 
arrived ;  I  have  sent  couriers  to  every  corner  of  the 
continent ;  but  all  my  hopes  have  been  frustrated. 
Perhaps  you  have  not  been  properly  informed.  I 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       117 

entreat  you,  my  love,  to  inquire  carefully  in  what 
manner  you  may  best  send  your  letters.  It  is  so 
dreadful  for  me  to  be  deprived  of  them,  and  I  am 
so  unhappy  at  being  separated  from  all  I  love  !  I 
am  guilty,  it  is  true,  of  having  caused  my  own  ca- 
lamity ;  but  you  would  pity  me  if  you  knew  all  that 
my  heart  endured. 

But  why  tell  you  news  in  a  letter  destined  to  travel 
about  the  world  for  years,  which  will  reach  you 
perhaps  in  shreds,  and  will  represent  antiquity  per- 
sonified ?  My  other  despatches  must  have  informed 
you  of  the  various  events  of  the  campaign.  The 
battle  of  Brandy  wine,  in  which  I  most  skilfully  lost 
a  small  part  of  my  leg ;  the  taking  possession  of 
Philadelphia,  which  will  by  no  means,  however,  be 
attended  with  the  ill  consequences  which  have  been 
expected  in  Europe  ;  the  attack  of  a  post  at  Ger- 
mantown,  at  which  I  was  not  present,  from  having 
received  a  recent  wound,  and  which  did  not  prove 
successful;  the  surrender  of  General  Burgoyne,  with 
five  thousand  men — that  same  Burgoyne  who  wished 
to  devour  us  all,  last  spring,  but  who  finds  himself 
this  autumn  the  prisoner  of  war  of  our  northern 
army  ;  and  finally,  our  present  situation,  stationed 
immediately  opposite  each  other,  at  four  leagues  dis- 
tance, and  General  Howe  established  at  Philadel- 
phia, making  great  exertion  to  take  certain  forts, 
and  having  already  lost  in  the  attempt  one  large 
and  one  small  vessel.  You  are  now  quite  as  well 
informed  on  the  subject  as  if  you  were  general-in- 
chief  of  either  army.  I  need  only  at  this  moment 
add,  that  the  wound  of  the  llth  of  September,  of 
which  I  have  spoken  to  you  a  thousand  times,  is 
almost  completely  healed,  although  I  am  still  a  little 
lame,  but  that  in  a  few  days  there  will  scarcely  re- 
main any  traces  of  this  accident.  All  these  details 
will  be  given  you  very  circumstantially  by  my  friend 


118      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

Mr.  de  Valfort,  to  whom  I  have  given  a  letter  for 
you,  and  on  whose  accounts  you  may  implicitly  rely. 
I  have  just  learnt  that  he  has  sailed,  not,  as  I  ex- 
pected, in  a  packet,  but  in  a  good  frigate  of  thirty- 
five  guns  :  it  would  be  unlucky  indeed  if  he  were 
taken.  From  his  lips,  and  the  epistle  which  I  con- 
fided to  him  five  or  six  days  ago,  you  will  learn  all 
that  your  affection  for  me  may  make  you  wish  to 
know.  I  wish  you  also  knew  the  precise  day  of  my 
return,  and  I  am  most  impatient  to  fix  that  day 
myself,  and  to  be  able  to  say  to  you,  in  the  joy  of 
my  heart, — upon  such  a  day  I  set  out  to  rejoin  you, 
and  obtain  all  earthly  happiness. 

A  little  gentleman,  in  a  blue  coat,  with  lemon- 
coloured  facings  and  a  white  waistcoat,  a  German, 
coming  hither  to  solicit  an  employment,  (which  he 
will  not  obtain,)  and  speaking  wretched  French,  told 
me  that  he  quitted  Europe  in  the  month  of  August : 
he  talked  to  me  of  politics  and  of  the  ministry  ;  he 
upset  all  Europe  generally,  and  every  court  indi- 
vidually ;  but  he  knew  not  a  word  of  what  was 
most  interesting  to  my  heart.  I  examined  him  in 
every  way ;  I  mentioned  fifty  names  to  him  ;  his 
answer  was  always,  "  Me  not  know  them  noblemen." 

I  will  not  weary  you  with  a  long  account  of  the 
state  of  my  finances.  The  accident  which  occurred 
to  my  vessel  was  a  source  of  vexation  to  me,  because 
that  vessel  would  have  been  useful  to  me  in  the 
present  settlement  of  my  affairs  ;  but  it  is  no  longer 
in  being,  and  I  should  reproach  myself  with  having 
sent  it  back,  had  I  not  been  obliged  to  make  its 
return  a  clause  in  my  engagements,  on  account  of 
my  minority.*  Everything  here  is  incredibly  dear. 
We  feel  the  consolation  of  the  malevolent  in  think  - 


*  It  will  be  seen  by  the  memoirs  that  that  vessel  was  wrecked 
on  the  bar  of  Charlestown. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       119 

ing  that  the  scarcity  is  still  greater  in  Philadelphia. 
In  time  of  war,  we  become  reconciled  to  all  we 
may  ourselves  endure  by  making  our  enemies  suffer 
ten  times  more.  We  have  here  an  abundance  of 
provisions,  and  we  learn  with  pleasure  that  our 
English  neighbours  are  not  so  fortunate. 

Do  not  think  at  present  of  being  uneasy  on  my 
account ;  all  the  hard  blows  are  over,  and  there  can 
be,  at  most,  but  some  little  miniature  strokes,  which 
cannot  concern  me  ;  I  am  not  less  secure  in  this 
camp  than  I  should  be  were  I  in  the  centre  of  Paris, 
If  every  possible  advantage  to  be  attained  by  serving 
here  ;  if  the  friendship  of  the  army  in  gross  and  in 
detail ;  if  a  tender  union  with  the  most  respectable 
and  admirable  of  men,  General  Washington,  sus- 
tained by  mutual  confidence ;  if  the  affection  of  those 
Americans  by  whom  I  wish  to  be  beloved ;  if  all  this 
were  sufficient  to  constitute  my  happiness,  I  should 
indeed  have  nothing  to  desire.  But  my  heart  is  far 
from  being  tranquil.  You  would  compassionate 
me,  if  you  knew  how  much  that  heart  suffers,  and 
how  well  it  loves  you  ! 

The  present  season  of  the  year  makes  me  hope  to 
receive  some  letters.  What  may  they  announce  to 
me  ?  what  may  I  hope  ?  O,  my  dearest  love,  how 
cruel  it  is  to  endure  this  painful  anxiety,  under  cir- 
cumstances which  are  so  all-important  to  my  hap- 
piness !  Have  I  two  children  ?  have  I  another 
infant  to  share  my  tender  affection  with  my  dearest 
Henriette  ?  Embrace  my  dear  little  girl  a  thousand 
times  for  me ;  embrace  them  both  tenderly,  my 
dearest  life.  I  trust  they  will  know  one  day  how 
well  I  love  them. 

A  thousand  respectful  compliments  to  Madame 
d'Ayen  ;  a  thousand  tender  ones  to  the  viscountess 
and  my  sisters ;  to  my  friends  a  million  of  kind 


120          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

regards  ;  remember  me  to  every  one.  Adieu  !  take 
care  of  your  own  health  ;  give  me  circumstantial 
details  of  all  things  ;  believe  that  I  love  you  more 
than  ever,  that  you  are  the  first  object  of  my 
affection,  and  the  surest  guarantee  of  my  felicity. 
The  sentiments  so  deeply  engraven  on  a  heart  which 
belongs  to  you  alone,  shall  remain,  whilst  that  heart 
continues  to  vibrate.  Will  you,  too,  always  love 
me,  my  dearest  life  ?  I  dare  believe  it,  and  that 
we  shall  mutually  render  each  other  happy  by  an 
affection  equally  tender  and  eternal.  Adieu,  adieu  ! 
how  delightful  would  it  be  to  embrace  you  at  this 
moment,  and  say  to  you  with  my  own  lips,  I  love 
thee  better  than  I  have  ever  loved,  and  I  shall  love 
thee  for  the  remainder  of  my  life. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Haddonfield,  the  26th  November,  1777. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  went  down  to  this  place  since 
the  day  before  yesterday,  in  order  to  be  acquainted 
of  all  the  roads  and  grounds  around  the  enemy.  I 
heard  at  my  arrival  that  their  main  body  was  be- 

*  All  the  letters  addressed  to  General  Washington,  as  well 
as  to  other  Americans,  were  written  in  English.  Since  the 
death  of  General  Washington,  his  family  have  returned  to  Ge- 
neral Lafayette  the  original  letters  he  had  addressed  to  him,  and 
these  are  now  in  our  possession.  The  originals  of  Washington's 
letters  were  almost  all  lost  in  the  French  revolution  ;  but  M.  de 
Lafayette,  during  his  last  journey  to  the  United  States,  had  a 
great  number  of  them  copied  from  minutes  preserved  by  Wash- 
ington himself:  they  have  been  inserted  in  the  collection  we  have 
so  frequently  quoted  from,  published  by  Mr.  Sparks. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       121 

tween  Great  and  Little  Timber  Creek  since  the 
same  evening.  Yesterday  morning,  in  reconnoiter- 
ing  about,  I  have  been  told  that  they  were  very  busy 
in  crossing  the  Delaware.  I  saw  them  myself  in 
their  boats,  and  sent  that  intelligence  to  General 
Greene  as  soon  as  possible,  as  every  other  thing  I 
heard  of.  But  I  want  to  acquaint  your  excellency 
of  a  little  event  of  last  evening,  which,  though  not 
very  considerable  in  itself,  will  certainly  please  you, 
on  account  of  the  bravery  and  alacrity  a  small  party 
of  ours  shewed  on  that  occasion.  After  having 
spent  the  most  part  of  the  day  to  make  myself  well 
acquainted  with  the  certainty  of  their  motions,  I 
came  pretty  late  into  the  Gloucester  road,  between 
the  two  creeks.  I  had  ten  light-horse  with  Mr. 
Lindsey,  almost  a  hundred  and  fifty  riflemen,  under 
Colonel  Buttler,  and  two  piquets  of  the  militia,  com- 
manded by  Colonels  Hite  and  Ellis  :  my  whole  body 
was  not  three  hundred.  Colonel  Armand,  Colonel 
Laumoy,  the  chevaliers  Duplessis  and  Gimat,  were 
the  Frenchmen  who  went  with  me.  A  scout  of  my 
men,  with  whom  was  Mr.  Duplessis,  to  see  how 
near  were  the  first  piquets  from  Gloucester,  found 
at  two  miles  and  a  half  of  it  a  strong  post  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  Hessians  with  field-pieces,  (what 
number  I  did  know,  by  the  unanimous  deposition 
of  their  prisoners,)  and  engaged  immediately.  As 
my  little  reconnoitering  party  was  all  in  fine  spirits, 
I  supported  them.  We  pushed  the  Hessians  more 
than  an  half  mile  from  the  place  where  was  their 
main  body,  and  we  made  them  run  very  fast :  Bri- 
tish reinforcements  came  twice  to  them,  but,  very 
far  from  recovering  their  ground,  they  went  always 
back.  The  darkness  of  the  night  prevented  us  then 
to  push  that  advantage,  and,  after  standing  upon 


122       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

the  ground  we  had  got,  I  ordered  them  to  return 
very  slow  to  Haddonfield.  The  enemy,  knowing 
perhaps  by  our  drums  that  we  were  not  so  near, 
came  again  to  fire  at  us  ;  but  the  brave  Major 
Moriss,  with  a  part  of  his  riflemen,  sent  them  back, 
and  pushed  them  very  fast.  I  understand  that  they 
have  had  between  twenty-five  and  thirty  wounded, 
at  least  that  number  killed,  among  whom  I  am  cer- 
tain, is  an  officer ;  some  say  more,  and  the  prisoners 
told  me  they  have  lost  the  commandant  of  that  body; 
we  got  yet,  this  day,  fourteen  prisoners.  I  sent  you 
the  most  moderate  account  I  had  from  themselves. 
We  left  one  single  man  killed,  a  lieutenant  of  mi- 
litia, and  only  five  of  ours  were  wounded.  Such  is 
the  account  of  our  little  entertainment,  which  is  in- 
deed much  too  long  for  the  matter,  but  I  take  the 
greatest  pleasure  to  let  you  know  that  the  conduct 
of  our  soldiers  is  above  all  praises  :  I  never  saw  men 
so  merry,  so  spirited,  so  desirous  to  go  on  to  the 
enemy,  whatever  forces  they  could  have,  as  that 
small  party  was  in  this  little  fight.  I  found  the 
riflemen  above  even  their  reputation,  and  the  rnilitia 
above  all  expectations  I  could  have  :  I  returned  to 
them  my  very  sincere  thanks  this  morning.  I  wish 
that  this  little  success  of  ours  may  please  you  , 
though  a  very  trifling  one,  I  find  it  very  interesting 
on  account  of  the  behaviour  of  our  soldiers. 

Some  time  after  I  came  back,  General  Varnum 
arrived  here  ;  General  Greene  is,  too,  in  this  place 
since  this  morning ;  he  engaged  me  to  give  you 
myself  the  account  of  the  little  advantage  of  that 
small  part  of  the  troops  under  his  command.  I  have 
nothing  more  to  say  to  your  excellency  about  our 
business  on  this  side,  because  he  is  writing  himself : 
I  should  have  been  very  glad,  if  circumstances  had 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       123 

permitted  me,  to  be  useful  to  him  upon  a  greater 
scale.  As  he  is  obliged  to  march  slow  in  order  to 
attend  his  troops,  and  as  I  am  here  only  a  volunteer, 
I  will  have  the  honour  to  wait  upon  your  excellency 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  I'll  set  out  to-day  :  it  will 
be  a  great  pleasure  for  me  to  find  myself  again  with 
you. 

With  the  most  tender  affection  and  highest  re- 
spect I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

LAFAYETTE. 

I  must  tell,  too,  that  the  riflemen  had  been  the 
whole  day  running  before  my  horse,  without  eating 
or  taking  any  rest. 

I  have  just  now  a  certain  assurance  that  two 
British  officers,  besides  those  I  spoke  you  of,  have 
died  this  morning  of  their  wounds  in  an  house  ;  this, 
and  some  other  circumstances,  let  me  believe  that 
their  lost  may  be  greater  than  I  told  to  your  excel- 
lency. 


TO  THE  DUKE  D'AYEN. 

Camp  Gulph,  Pennsylvania,  Dec.  16th,  1777. 

THIS  letter,  if  it  ever  reaches  you,  will  find  you  at 
least  in  France  ;  some  hazards  are  averted  by  this 
circumstance,  but  I  must  not  indulge  in  many 
hopes.  I  never  write  a  letter  for  Europe  without 
deploring  before  hand  the  fate  most  probably  await- 
ing it,  and  I  labour,  undoubtedly,  more  for  Lord 
Howe  than  for  any  of  my  friends.  The  bad  season 
is  fortunately  drawing  near  ;  the  English  ships  will 
be  obliged  to  quit  their  confounded  cruising  sta- 
tions ;  I  may  then  receive  letters,  and  forward  them 


124       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

from  hence  with  some  degree  of  security  ;  this  will 
make  me  very  happy,  and  will  prevent  my  weary- 
ing you  by  a  repetition  of  events  which  I  wish  you 
to  be  acquainted  with,  but  which  I  do  not  wish  to 
remind  you  of  each  time  I  write.  I  am  very  anxious 
for  the  account  of  your  journey.  I  depend  princi- 
pally on  Madame  de  Lafayette  for  its  details ;  she 
well  knows  how  interesting  they  will  be  to  me.  The 
Marshall  de  Noailles  tells  me,  in  general  terms,  that 
the  letters  he  receives  from  Italy  assure  him  the 
travellers  are  all  in  good  health.  From  him  I  have 
also  learnt  the  confinement  of  Madame  Lafayette  ; 
he  does  not  speak  of  it  as  if  it  were  the  happiest  of 
all  possible  circumstances  ;  but  my  anxiety  was  too 
keen  to  be  able  to  make  any  distinction  of  sex  ;  and 
by  kindly  writing  to  me,  and  giving  me  an  account 
of  the  event,  he  rendered  me  far,  far  happier  than 
he  imagined,  when  he  announced  to  me  that  I  had 
only  a  daughter.*  The  Rue  de  St.  Honore  has  now 
for  ever  lost  its  credit,  whilst  the  other  Hotel  de 
Noailles  has  acquired  new  lustre  by  the  birth  of 
Adrian. f  It  is  truly  an  ill-proceeding  on  my  part 
to  throw  that  disgrace  on  a  family  from  whom  I 
have  received  so  much  kindness.  You  must  now 
be  freezing  on  the  high  roads  of  France  ;  those  of 
Pennsylvania  are  also  very  cold,  and  I  endeavour 
vainly  to  persuade  myself  that  the  difference  of  lati- 
tude betwixt  this  and  Paris  ought  to  give  us,  com- 
paratively speaking,  a  delightful  winter  :  I  am  even 
told  that  it  will  be  more  severe.  We  are  destined 
to  pass  it  in  huts,  twenty  miles  from  Philadelphia, 

*  Madame  Charles  de  Latour-Maubourg. 

f  A  son  of  the  Viscount  de  Noailles,  who  was  the  son  of  Mar- 
shal de  Mouchy,  and  married  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Duke 
d'Ayen. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       125 

that  we  may  protect  the  country,  be  enabled  to  take 
advantage  of  every  favourable  opportunity,  and  also 
have  the  power  of  instructing  the  troops  by  keeping 
them  together.  It  would,  perhaps,  have  been  better 
to  have  entered  quietly  into  real  winter  quarters  ; 
but  political  reasons  induced  General  Washington 
to  adopt  this  half-way  measure. 

I  wish  I  had  sufficient  skill  to  give  you  a  satisfac- 
tory account  of  the  military  events  passing  in  this 
country ;  but,  in  addition  to  my  own  incapacity, 
reasons,  of  which  you  will  understand  the  weight, 
prevent  my  hazarding  in  a  letter,  exposed  to  the 
capture  of  the  English  fleet,  a  relation  which  might 
explain  many  things,  if  I  had  the  happiness  of  con- 
versing with  you  in  person.  I  will,  however,  en- 
deavour to  repeat  to  you,  once  more,  the  most  im- 
portant events  that  have  occurred  during  this  cam- 
paign. My  gazette,  which  will  be  more  valuable 
from  not  containing  my  own  remarks,  must  be  pre- 
ferable to  the  gazettes  of  Europe ;  because  the  man 
who  sees  with  his  own  eyes,  even  if  he  should  not 
see  quite  correctly,  must  always  merit  more  atten- 
tion than  the  man  who  has  seen  nothing.  As  to 
the  gazettes  which  the  English  shower  upon  us, 
they  appear  to  me  only  fit  to  amuse  chairmen  over 
their  mugs  of  ale ;  and  even  these  men  must  have 
indulged  in  liberal  potations,  not  to  perceive  the 
falsehoods  they  contain.  It  seems  to  me  that  the 
project  of  the  English  ministry  was  to  cut  in  a  line 
that  part  of  America  which  extends  from  the  bay  of 
Chesapeak  to  Ticonderoga.  General  Howe  was 
ordered  to'repair  to  Philadelphia  by  the  Elk  river  ; 
Burgoyne  to  descend  to  Albany,  and  Clinton  to  as- 
cend from  New  York  by  the  North  river :  the  three 
generals  might  in  this  manner  have  joined  hands  ; 
they  would  have  received,  or  pretended  to  receive, 


126      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

the  submission  of  the  alleged  conquered  provinces  ; 
we  should  only  have  retained  for  our  winter  quar- 
ters the  interior  of  the  country,  and  have  depended 
solely  for  our  resources  on  the  four  southern  states. 
An  attack  on  Chariest  own  may  also,  perhaps,  have 
been  intended  :  in  the  opinion  of  the  cabinet  of  the 
King  of  England,  America  was  thus  almost  con- 
quered. Providence  fortunately  permitted  some 
alterations  to  take  place  in  the  execution  of  this 
finely-conceived  project — to  exercise,  probably,  for 
some  time,  the  constancy  of  the  British  nation. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  army,  in  the  month  of 
August,  I  was  much  astonished  at  not  finding  any 
enemies.  After  having  made  some  marches  into 
Jersey,  where  nothing  occurred,  General  Howe  em- 
barked at  New  York.  We  were  encamped,  and 
expecting  their  descent,  on  the  Chester  side,  when 
we  learnt  that  they  were  at  the  mouth  of  the  Elk 
river.  General  Washington  marched  to  meet  them, 
and  after  having  taken  up  several  stations,  resolved 
to  wait  their  arrival  upon  some  excellent  heights  on 
the  Brandywine  stream.  The  llth  of  September 
the  English  marched  to  attack  us  ;  but  whilst  they 
were  amusing  us  with  their  cannon,  and  several 
movements  in  front,  they  suddenly  detached  the 
greater  part  of  their  troops,  the  choicest  men  of 
their  army,  with  the  grenadiers,  under  the  command 
of  General  Howe,  and  Lord  Cornwallis,  to  pass  a  ford 
four  miles  distant  on  our  right.  As  soon  as  General 
Washington  became  aware  of  this  movement,  he  de- 
tached his  whole  right  wing  to  march  towards  them. 
Some  unfounded  reports,  which  had  all  the  appear- 
ance of  truth,  and  which  contradicted  the  first  ac- 
counts received,  arrested  for  a  length  of  time  the 
progress  of  that  wing,  and  when  it  arrived,  the 
enemy  had  already  crossed  the  ford.  Thus  it  became 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       127 

necessary  to  engage  in  an  open  field  with  an  army 
superior  in  numbers  to  our  own.  After  having 
for  some  time  sustained  a  very  brisk  fire,  though 
many  were  killed  on  the  side  of  the  English,  the 
Americans  were  obliged  to  give  way.  A  portion 
of  them  was  rallied  and  brought  back  :  it  was  then 
that  I  received  my  wound.  In  a  word,  to  cut  the 
matter  short,  everything  went  on  badly  on  both 
sides,  and  General  Washington  was  defeated — be- 
cause he  could  not  gain  the  first  general  battle 
which  had  been  fought  during  the  war.  The  army 
reassembled  at  Chester ;  but  having  been  carried 
to  a  distance  from  it,  I  have  not  been  able  to 
follow  its  different  movements.  General  Howe  took 
advantage  of  the  disorder  which  a  tremendous  rain 
had  occasioned  in  our  army  to  pass  the  Schuylkiil : 
he  repaired  to  Philadelphia,  to  take  possession  of  it, 
and  stationed  himself  between  that  town  and  Ger- 
man town.  General  Washington  attacked  him  on 
the  4th  of  October  ;  and  we  may  assert  that  our  ge- 
neral beat  theirs,  although  their  troops  defeated 
ours,  since  he  surprised  him,  and  even  drove  back  the 
English  for  some  time  ;  but  their  experience  proved 
again  triumphant  over  our  unpractised  officers  and 
soldiers.  Some  time  before  this  event,  an  Ame- 
rican brigadier,  'placed  in  detachment  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  had  been  attacked  at  night  in  his 
camp,  and  had  lost  some  of  his  men.  These  are 
the  only  important  events  which  took  place  on  our 
side  during  the  six  weeks  that  I  was  absent  from 
the  camp,  whilst  obliged  to  keep  my  bed  from  my 
unclosed  wound :  at  that  time  we  received  good 
news  of  General  Burgoyne.  When  I  first  rejoined  the 
army,  whilst  General  Howe  was  on  the  water,  I  learnt 
that  Ticonderoga  had  been  precipitately  abandoned 
by  the  Americans,  leaving  there  several  cannons  and 


128       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

a  quantity  of  ammunition.  This  success  inflamed  the 
pride  of  General  Burgoyne,  and  he  issued  a  pompous 
proclamation,  for  which  he  has  since  paid  very 
dearly.  His  first  act  was  to  send  a  detachment, 
which  was  repulsed ;  he  was  not,  however,  discou- 
raged, but  marched  on,  through  immense  forests,  in  a 
country  which  contained  but  a  single  road.  General 
Gates  had  under  his  orders  fifteen  or  sixteen  thousand 
men,  who  distressed  the  enemy  by  firing  upon  them 
from  behind  the  trees.  Whether  conqueror  or  con- 
quered, General  Burgoyne 's  force  became  gradually 
weakened,  and  every  quarter  of  a  league  cost  him 
many  men.  At  length,  surrounded  on  all  sides,  and 
perishing  with  hunger,  he  was  obliged  to  enter  into 
a  convention,  in  virtue  of  which  he  was  conducted 
by  the  New  England  militia  into  that  same  state  of 
Massachusets  in  which  it  had  been  asserted  in  Lon- 
don he  was  to  take  up  his  winter  quarters.  From 
thence  he  is  to  be  conveyed,  with  whatever  troops 
he  may  have  remaining,  to  England,  at  the  expense 
of  the  king  his  master.  Ticonderoga  has  been  since 
evacuated  by  the  English. 

General  Clinton,  who  had  set  out  rather  late  from 
New  York,  after  having  taken  and  destroyed  Fort 
Montgomery,  on  the  north  river,  endeavoured  to 
reach  the  rear  of  Gates  ;  but,  hearing  of  the  conven- 
tion, he  returned  on  the  same  road  by  which  he  had 
advanced.  If  he  had  been  more  rapid  in  his  march, 
the  affairs  of  General  Gates  would  not  have  ended 
so  fortunately. 

When  my  wound  permitted  me,  after  the  space 
of  six  weeks,  to  rejoin  the  army,  I  found  it  stationed 
fifteen  miles  from  Philadelphia  ;  our  northern  rein- 
forcements had  arrived  ;  General  Howe  was  much 
incommoded  by  two  forts,  one  on  the  Jersey  side, 
the  other  on  the  little  Island  of  Mud,  that  you  will 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       129 

find  on  your  map,  below  the  SchuylkilL  Those 
two  forts  defended  the  chevaux  de  frise  of  the  De- 
laware ;  they  held  out  for  a  long  time,  against  all 
the  efforts  of  the  English  troops,  both  by  sea  and 
land.  Two  young  Frenchmen,  who  were  acting 
there  as  engineers,  acquired  much  glory  by  their 
conduct  ;  MM.  de  Fleury,  of  the  regiment  of 
Rouergue,  and  Mauduit  Duplessis,  who  had  also  at 
the  same  time  the  command  of  the  artillery :  he  is 
an  artillery  officer  in  France.  Some  Hessians, 
commanded  by  Count  Donop,  attacked  the  fort  in 
which  Mauduit  was  stationed,  and  were  repulsed 
with  considerable  loss.  Count  Donop  was  taken 
and  received  a  mortal  wound.  These  forts,  after 
having  made  a  vigorous  resistance,  were  at  length 
evacuated.  Lord  Cornwallis  then  passed  into  Jersey 
with  five  thousand  men.  The  same  number  of  our 
troops  was  stationed  there,  under  one  of  our  majors- 
general.  As  I  was  only  a  volunteer,  I  went  to  re- 
connoitre the  ground,  and  having  met,  accidentally, 
with  a  detachment  near  the  enemy's  post,  the  good 
conduct  of  my  soldiers  rendered  an  imprudent 
attack  justifiable.  We  were  told  that  his  lordship 
had  been  wounded.  He  then  again  re-crossed  the 
river,  and  we  also  did  the  same.  Some  days  after- 
wards our  army  assembled  at  Whitemarsh,  thirteen 
miles  from  Philadelphia.  The  whole  army  of 
General  Howe  advanced  to  attack  us :  but  having 
examined  our  position  on  every  side,  they  judged  it 
more  prudent  to  retire  during  the  night,  after  four 
days  of  apparent  hesitation.  We  then  executed 
the  project  of  crossing  over  on  this  side  of  the 
Schuylkill,  and  after  having  been  delayed  on  the 
opposite  side,  from  finding  on  this  shore  a  part  of 
the  enemy's  army,  (although  they  only  fired  a  few 
cannon  balls  at  us,)  they  left  us  a  free  passage  the 

VOL.   I.  K 


130      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

next  day,  and  we  shall  all  repair  unto  our  huts  for 
the  winter. 

Whilst  remaining  there,  the  American  army  will 
endeavour  to  clothe  itself,  because  it  is  almost  in  a 
state  of  nudity, — to  form  itself,  because  it  requires 
instruction, — and  to  recruit  itself,  because  it  is 
feeble ;  but  the  thirteen  states  are  going  to  rouse 
themselves  and  send  us  some  men.  My  division 
will,  I  hope,  be  one  of  the  strongest,  and  I  will 
exert  myself  to  make  it  one  of  the  best.  The 
actual  situation  of  the  enemy  is  by  no  means  an 
unpleasant  one ;  the  army  of  Burgoyne  is  fed  at 
the  expense  of  the  republic,  and  the  few  men  they 
may  obtain  back,  for  many  will  be  lost  upon  the 
road,  will  immediately  be  replaced  by  other  troops ; 
Clinton  is  quite  at  ease  in  New  York,  with  a 
numerous  garrison  ;  General  Howe  is  paying  court 
to  the  belles  of  Philadelphia.  The  liberty  the 
English  take  of  stealing  and  pillaging  from  friends 
as  well  as  foes,  places  them  completely  at  their 
ease.  Their  ships  at  present  sail  up  to  the  town, 
not,  however,  without  some  danger,  for,  without 
counting  the  ship  of  sixty-four  guns  and  the  frigate 
which  were  burnt  before  the  forts,  and  without 
counting  all  those  that  I  trust  the  ice  will  destroy, 
several  are  lost  every  day  on  the  difficult  passage 
they  are  obliged  to  undertake. 

The  loss  of  Philadelphia  is  far  from  being  so  im- 
portant as  it  is  conceived  to  be  in  Europe.  If  the 
differences  of  circumstances,  of  countries,  and  of 
proportion  between  the  two  armies,  were  not  duly 
considered,  the  success  of  General  Gates  would  ap- 
pear surprising  when  compared  to  the  events  that 
have  occurred  with  us, — taking  into  account  the 
superiority  of  General  Washington  over  General 
Gates.  Our  General  is  a  man  formed,  in  truth,  for 


CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,    1778.-  131 

this  revolution,  which  could  not  have  been  accom- 
plished without  him.  I  see  him  more  intimately 
than  any  other  man,  and  I  see  that  he  is  worthy  of 
the  adoration  of  his  country.  His  tender  friendship 
for  me,  and  his  complete  confidence  in  me,  relating 
to  all  military  and  political  subjects,  great  as  well 
as  small,  enable  me  to  judge  of  all  the  interests  he 
has  to  conciliate,  and  all  the  difficulties  he  has  to 
conquer.  I  admire  each  day  more  fully  the  excel- 
lence of  his  character,  and  the  kindness  of  his  heart. 
Some  foreigners  are  displeased  at  not  having  been 
employed,  (although  it  did  not  depend  on  him  to 
employ  them) — others,  whose  ambitious  projects  he 
would  not  serve, — and  some  intriguing,  jealous  men, 
have  endeavoured  to  injure  his  reputation ;  but  his 
name  will  be  revered  in  every  age,  by  all  true  lovers 
of  liberty  and  humanity ;  and  although  I  may  appear 
to  be  eulogising  my  friend,  I  believe  that  the  part 
he  makes  me  act,  gives  me  the  right  of  avowing 
publicly  how  much  I  admire  and  respect  him.  There 
are  many  interesting  things  that  I  cannot  write,  but 
will  one  day  relate  to  you,  on  which  I  entreat  you 
to  suspend  your  judgment,  and  which  will  redouble 
your  esteem  for  him. 

America  is  most  impatiently  expecting  us  to  de- 
clare for  her,  and  France  will  one  day,  I  hope, 
determine  to  humble  the  pride  of  England.  This 
hope,  and  the  measures  which  America  appears  de- 
termined to  pursue,  give  me  great  hopes  for  the 
glorious  establishment  of  her  independence.  We 
are  not,  I  confess,  so  strong  as  I  expected,  but  we 
are  strong  enough  to  fight ;  we  shall  do  so,  I  trust, 
with  some  degree  of  success  ;  and,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  France,  we  shall  gain,  with  costs,  the  cause 
that  I  cherish,  because  it  is  the  cause  of  justice,— 
because  it  honors  humanity, — because  it  is  impor- 

K  2 


132       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

tant  to  my  country, — and  because  my  American 
friends,  and  myself,  are  deeply  engaged  in  it.  The 
approaching  campaign  will  be  an  interesting  one. 
It  is  said  that  the  English  are  sending  us  some 
Hanoverians ;  some  time  ago  they  threatened  us 
with,  what  was  far  worse,  the  arrival  of  some  Rus- 
sians. A  slight  menace  from  France  would  lessen 
the  number  of  these  reinforcements.  The  more  I 
see  of  the  English,  the  more  thoroughly  convinced 
I  am,  that  it  is  necessary  to  speak  to  them  in  a  loud 
tone. 

After  having  wearied  you  with  public  affairs,  you 
must  not  expect  to  escape  without  being  wearied 
also  with  my  private  affairs.  It  is  impossible  to  be 
more  agreeably  situated  than  I  am  in  a  foreign 
country.  I  have  only  feelings  of  pleasure  to  ex- 
press, and  I  have  each  day  more  reason  to  be  satis- 
fied with  the  conduct  of  the  congress  towards  me, 
although  my  military  occupations  have  allowed  me 
to  become  personally  acquainted  with  but  few  of  its 
members.  Those  I  do  know  have  especially  loaded 
me  with  marks  of  kindness  and  attention.  The 
new  president,  Mr.  Laurens,  one  of  the  most  respect- 
able men  of  America,  is  my  particular  friend.  As 
to  the  army,  I  have  had  the  happiness  of  obtaining 
the  friendship  of  every  individual ;  not  one  oppor- 
tunity is  lost  of  giving  me  proofs  of  it.  I  passed  the 
whole  summer  without  accepting  a  division,  which 
you  know  had  been  my  previous  intention  ;  I  passed 
all  that  time  at  General  Washington's  house,  where 
I  felt  as  if  I  were  with  a  friend  of  twenty  years' 
standing.  Since  my  return  from  Jersey,  he  has 
desired  me  to  choose,  amongst  several  brigades,  the 
division  which  may  please  me  best;  but  I  have  chosen 
one  entirely  composed  of  Virginians.  It  is  weak  in 
point  of  numbers  at  present,  just  in  proportion, 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       133 

however,  to  the  weakness  of  the  whole  army,  and 
almost  in  a  state  of  nakedness  ;  but  I  am  promised 
cloth,  of  which  I  shall  make  clothes,  and  recruits, 
of  which  soldiers  must  be  made,  about  the  same 
period ;  but,  unfortunately,  the  last  is  the  most 
difficult  task,  even  for  more  skilful  men  than  me. 
The  task  I  am  performing  here,  if  I  had  acquired 
sufficient  experience  to  perform  it  well,  would  im- 
prove exceedingly  my  future  knowledge .  The  maj  or- 
general  replaces  the  lieutenant-general,  and  the  field- 
marshal,  in  their  most  important  functions,  and  I 
should  have  the  power  of  employing  to  advantage, 
both  my  talents  and  experience,  if  Providence  and 
my  extreme  youth  allowed  me  to  boast  of  possess- 
ing either.  I  read,  I  study,  I  examine,  I  listen,  I 
reflect,  and  the  result  of  all  is  the  endeavour  at 
forming  an  opinion,  into  which  I  infuse  as  much 
common  sense  as  possible.  I  will  not  talk  much, 
for  fear  of  saying  foolish  things  ;  I  will  still  less  risk 
acting  much,  for  fear  of  doing  foolish  things  ;  for  I 
am  not  disposed  to  abuse  the  confidence  which  the 
Americans  have  kindly  placed  in  me.  Such  is  the 
plan  of  conduct  which  I  have  followed  until  now, 
and  which  I  shall  continue  to  follow ;  but  when 
some  ideas  occur  to  me,  which  I  believe  may  become 
useful  when  properly  rectified,  I  hasten  to  impart 
them  to  a  great  judge,  who  is  good  enough  to  say 
that  he  is  pleased  with  them.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  my  heart  tells  me  that  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity offers,  I  cannot  refuse  myself  the  pleasure  of 
participating  in  the  peril,  but  I  do  not  think  that  the 
vanity  of  success  ought  to  make  us  risk  the  safety 
of  an  army,  or  of  any  portion  of  it,  which  may  not 
be  formed  or  calculated  for  the  offensive.  If  I 
could  make  an  axiom,  with  the  certainty  of  not  say- 
ing a  foolish  thing,  I  should  venture  to  add  that, 


134      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

whatever  may  be  our  force,  we  must  content  our- 
selves with  a  completely  defensive  plan,  with  the 
exception,  however,  of  the  moment  when  we  may  be 
forced  to  action,  because  I  think  I  have  perceived 
that  the  English  troops  are  more  astonished  by  a 
brisk  attack  than  by  a  firm  resistance. 

This  letter  will  be  given  you  by  the  celebrated 
Adams,  whose  name  must  undoubtedly  be  known  to 
you.  As  I  have  never  allowed  myself  to  quit  the 
army,  I  have  not  been  able  to  see  him.  He  wished 
that  I  should  give  him  letters  of  introduction  to 
France,  especially  to  yourself.  May  I  hope  that 
you  will  have  the  goodness  of  receiving  him  kindly, 
and  even  of  giving  him  some  information  respecting 
the  present  state  of  affairs.  I  fancied  you  would 
not  be  sorry  to  converse  with  a  man  whose  merit  is 
so  universally  acknowledged,  He  desires  ardently 
to  succeed  in  obtaining  the  esteem  of  our  nation, 
One  of  his  friends  himself  told  me  so, 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 
(ORIGINAL) 

Camp,  30th  December,  1777. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  went  yesterday  morning 
to  head-quarters  with  an  intention  of  speaking  to 
your  excellency,  but  you  were  too  busy,  and  I  shall 
lay  down  in  this  letter  what  I  wished  to  say. 

*  This  letter  was  occasioned  by  the  momentary  success  of  an 
intrigue,  known  in  American  history  under  the  name  of  Con- 
way's  cabal.  Conway,  who  wished  to  oppose  Gates  to  Washing- 
ton, had  written  to  the  former  a  letter,  in  which  he  attacked 
the  general-in-chief.  An  aide-de-camp  of  Lord  Stirling  gained 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       135 

I  don't  need  to  tell  you  that  I  am  sorry  for  all  that 
has  happened  for  some  time  past.  It  is  a  necessary 
dependence  of  my  most  tender  and  respectful  friend- 
ship for  you,  which  affection  is  as  true  and  candid 
as  the  other  sentiments  of  my  heart,  and  much 
stronger  than  so  new  an  acquaintance  seems  to 
admit ;  but  another  reason,  to  be  concerned  in  the 
present  circumstances,  is  my  ardent  and  perhaps 
enthusiastic  wishes  for  the  happiness  and  liberty  of 
this  country.  I  see  plainly  that  America  can  de- 
fend herself  if  proper  measures  are  taken,  and  now 
I  begin  to  fear  lest  she  should  be  lost  by  herself  and 
her  own  sons. 

When  I  was  in  Europe  I  thought  that  here  almost 
every  man  was  a  lover  of  liberty,  and  would  rather 
die  free  than  live  a  slave.  You  can  conceive  my 
astonishment  when  I  saw  that  toryism  was  as  openly 
professed  as  whiggism  itself :  however,  at  that  time  I 
believed  that  all  good  Americans  were  united  to- 
gether ;  that  the  confidence  of  congress  in  you  was 
unbounded.  Then  I  entertained  the  certitude  that 
America  would  be  independent  in  case  she  should 
not  lose  you.  Take  away,  for  an  instant,  that 
modest  diffidence  of  yourself,  (which,  pardon  my 


knowledge  of  that  letter,  and  communicated  its  contents  to 
Washington,  who  entered  immediately  into  an  explanation  with 
Conway,  in  consequence  of  which  the  latter  sent  in  his  resig- 
nation, and  announced  the  intention  of  re-entering  the  service 
of  France.  The  resignation  was  not  accepted  by  congress,  and 
Conway  was,  on  the  contrary,  named  inspector-general  of  the 
army,  with  the  rank  of  major-general,  and  the  formation  of 
the  war  office  in  relation  to  the  mercenary  troops.  We  see,  by 
a  letter  from  General  Washington,  that  M.  de  Lafayette  was 
the  only  person  to  whom  he  shewed  General  Conway 's  letter, 
transmitted  by  Lord  Stirling's  aide-de-camp. — (Letter  to  Horatio 
Gates,  of  the  4th  of  January,  1778,  written  from  Washington. 
V,  1st,  Appendix  No.  6.) 


136      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

freedom,  my  4ear  General,  is  sometimes  too  great, 
and  I  wish  you  could  know,  as  well  as  myself,  what 
difference  there  is  between  you  and  any  other  man,) 
you  would  see  very  plainly  that  if  you  were  lost  for 
America,  there  is  no  hody  who  could  keep  the  army 
and  the  revolution  for  six  months.  There  are  open 
dissensions  in  congress,  parties  who  hate  one  an- 
other as  much  as  the  common  enemy ;  stupid  men, 
who,  without  knowing  a  single  word  about  war, 
undertake  to  judge  you,  to  make  ridiculous  com- 
parisons ;  they  are  infatuated  with  Gates,  without 
thinking  of  the  different  circumstances,  and  believe 
that  attacking  is  the  only  thing  necessary  to  conquer. 
Those  ideas  are  entertained  in  their  minds  by  some 
jealous  men,  and  perhaps  secret  friends  to  the 
British  Government,  who  want  to  push  you  in  a 
moment  of  ill  humour  to  some  rash  enterprise 
upon  the  lines,  or  against  a  much  stronger  army, 
I  should  not  take  the  liberty  of  mentioning  these 
particulars  to  you  if  I  did  not  receive  a  letter 
about  this  matter,  from  a  young  good-natured  gen- 
tleman at  York,  whom  Conway  has  ruined  by  his 
cunning,  bad  advice,  but  who  entertains  the  greatest 
respect  for  you. 

I  have  been  surprised  at  first,  to  see  the  few 
establishments  of  this  board  of  war,  to  see  the  dif- 
ference made  between  northern  and  southern  de- 
partments, to  see  resolves  from  congress  about  mili- 
tary operations ;  but  the  promotion  of  Conway  is 
beyond  all  my  expectations.  I  should  be  glad  to 
have  new  major-generals,  because,  as  I  know,  you 
take  some  interest  in  my  happiness  and  reputation : 
it  is,  perhaps,  an  occasion  for  your  excellency  to  give 
me  more  agreeable  commands  in  some  interesting 
instances.  On  the  other  hand,  General  Conway 
says  he  is  entirely  a  man  to  be  disposed  of  by  me. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       137 

He  calls  himself  my  soldier,  and  the  reason  of  such 
behaviour  to  me  is,  that  he  wishes  to  be  well 
spoken  of  at  the  French  court,  and  his  protector, 
the  Marquis  de  Castries,  is  an  intimate  acquaintance 
of  mine  ;  but  since  the  letter  of  Lord  Stirling  I  in- 
quired in  his  character.  I  found  that  he  was  an  am- 
bitious and  dangerous  man.  He  has  done  all  in  his 
power,  by  cunning  manoeuvres,  to  take  off  my  con- 
fidence and  affection  for  you.  His  desire  was  to 
engage  me  to  leave  this  country.  Now  I  see  all 
the  general  officers  of  the  army  against  congress ; 
such  disputes,  if  known  by  the  enemy,  would  be 
attended  with  the  worst  consequences.  I  am  very 
sorry  whenever  I  perceive  troubles  raised  among 
the  defenders  of  the  same  cause,  but  my  concern  is 
much  greater  when  I  find  officers  coming  from 
France,  officers  of  some  character  in  my  country, 
to  whom  any  fault  of  that  kind  may  be  imputed. 
The  reason  of  my  fondness  for  Conway  was  his 
being  by  all  means  a  very  brave  and  very  good 
officer.  However,  that  talent  for  manoeuvres,  and 
which  seems  so  extraordinary  to  congress,  is  not  so 
very  difficult  a  matter  for  any  man  of  common  sense 
who  applies  himself  to  it.  I  must  pay  to  General 
Portail,  and  some  French  officers,  who  came  to 
speak  me,  the  justice  to  say,  that  I  found  them  as  I 
could  wish  upon  this  occasion ;  for  it  has  made  a 
great  noise  among  many  in  the  army.  I  wish,  in- 
deed, those  matters  could  be  soon  pacified.  I  wish 
your  excellency  could  let  them  know  how  necessary 
you  are  to  them,  and  engage  them  at  the  same  time 
to  keep  peace,  and  simulate  love  among  themselves 
till  the  moment  when  those  little  disputes  shall  not 
be  attended  with  such  inconveniences.  It  would 
be,  too,  a  great  pity  that  slavery,  dishonour,  ruin, 


138      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

and  unhappiness  of  a  whole  world,  should  issue 
from  some  trifling  differences  between  a  few  men. 

You  will  find,  perhaps,  this  letter  very  useless, 
and  even  inopportune ;  but  I  was  desirous  of  having 
a  pretty  long  conversation  with  you  upon  the  pre- 
sent circumstances,  to  explain  you  what  I  think 
of  this  matter.  As  a  proper  opportunity  for  it 
did  not  occur,  I  took  the  liberty  of  laying  down 
some  of  my  ideas  in  this  letter,  because  it  is 
for  my  satisfaction  to  be  convinced  that  you,  my 
dear  general,  who  have  been  indulgent  enough 
to  permit  me  to  look  on  you  as  upon  a  friend, 
should  know  the  confession  of  my  sentiments  in  a 
matter  which  I  consider  as  a  very  important  one. 
I  have  the  warmest  love  for  my  country  and  for 
every  good  Frenchman ;  their  success  fills  my  heart 
with  joy ;  but,  sir,  besides,  Conway  is  an  Irishman, 
I  want  countrymen,  who  deserve,  in  every  point, 
to  do  honour  to  their  country.  That  gentleman 
had  engaged  me  by  entertaining  my  head  with  ideas 
of  glory  and  shining  projects,  and  I  must  confess, 
to  my  shame,  that  it  is  a  too  certain  way  of 
deceiving  me. 

I  wished  to  join  to  the  few  theories  about  war  I 
can  have,  and  the  few  dispositions  nature  gave, 
perhaps,  to  me,  the  experience  of  thirty  campaigns, 
in  hope  that  I  should  be  able  to  be  the  more  useful  in 
the  present  circumstances.  My  desire  of  deserving 
your  satisfaction  is  stronger  than  ever,  and  every- 
where you  will  employ  me  you  can  be  certain  of  my 
trying  every  exertion  in  my  power  to  succeed.  I 
am  now  fixed  to  your  fate,  and  I  shall  follow  it  and 
sustain  it  as  well  by  my  sword  as  by  all  means  in 
niy  power.  You  will  pardon  my  importunity  in 
iavour  of  the  sentiment  which  dictated  it.  Youth 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       139 

and  friendship  make  me,  perhaps,  too  warm,  hut 
I  feel  the  greatest  concern  at  all  that  has  happened 
for  some  time  since. 

With  the  most  tender  and  profound  respect,  I 
have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


FROM   GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Head-quarters,  December  31st,  1777. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS,  —  Your  favour  of  yesterday 
conveyed  to  me  fresh  proof  of  that  friendship  and 
attachment,  which  I  have  happily  experienced  since 
the  first  of  our  acquaintance,  and  for  which  I  en- 
tertain sentiments  of  the  purest  affection.  It  will 
ever  constitute  part  of  my  happiness  to  know  that 
I  stand  well  in  your  opinion  ;  because  I  am  satis- 
fied that  you  can  have  no  views  to  answer  by 
throwing  out  false  colours,  and  that  you  possess  a 
mind  too  exalted  to  condescend  to  low  arts  and 
intrigues  to  acquire  a  reputation.  Happy,  thrice 
happy,  would  it  have  been  for  this  army  and  the 
cause  we  are  embarked  in,  if  the  same  generous 
spirit  had  pervaded  all  the  actors  in  it.  But  one 
gentleman,  whose  name  you  have  mentioned,  had, 
I  am  confident,  far  different  views ;  his  ambition 
and  great  desire  of  being  puffed  off,  as  one  of  the 
first  officers  of  the  age,  could  only  be  equalled  by 
the  means  which  he  used  to  obtain  them.  But 
finding  that  I  was  determined  not  to  go  beyond  the 
line  of  my  duty  to  indulge  him  in  the  first — nor  to 
exceed  the  strictest  rules  of  propriety  to  gratify  him 
in  the  second — he  became  my  inveterate  enemy ; 


140      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

and  he  has,  I  am  persuaded,  practised  every  art  to 
do  me  an  injury,  even  at  the  expense  of  reprobating 
a  measure  that  did  not  succeed,  that  he  himself  ad- 
vised to.  How  far  he  may  have  accomplished  his 
ends,  I  know  not ;  and  except  for  considerations  of 
a  public  nature,  I  care  not ;  for,  it  is  well  known, 
that  neither  ambitious  nor  lucrative  motives,  led  me 
to  accept  my  present  appointments,  in  the  dis- 
charge of  which,  I  have  endeavoured  to  observe 
one  steady  and  uniform  system  of  conduct,  which  I 
shall  invariably  pursue,  while  I  have  the  honour  to 
command,  regardless  of  the  tongue  of  slander,  or 
the  powers  of  detraction.  The  fatal  tendency  of 
disunion  is  so  obvious,  that  I  have,  in  earnest  terms, 
exhorted  such  officers  as  have  expressed  their  dis- 
satisfaction at  General  Conway's  promotion,  to  be 
cool  and  dispassionate  in  their  decision  about  the 
matter ;  and  I  have  hopes  that  they  will  not  suffer 
any  hasty  determination  to  injure  the  service.  At 
the  same  time,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  of- 
ficers' feelings  upon  these  occasions  are  not  to  be 
restrained,  although  you  may  control  their  actions. 
The  other  observations  contained  in  your  letter 
have  too  much  truth  in  them ;  and,  it  is  much  to 
be  lamented,  that  things  are  not  now  as  they  for- 
merly were.  But  we  must  not,  in  so  great  a  con- 
test, expect  to  meet  with  nothing  but  sunshine.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  everything  happens  for  the 
best,  that  we  shall  triumph  over  all  our  misfor- 
tunes, and,  in  the  end,  be  happy ;  when,  my  dear 
marquis,  if  you  will  give  me  your  company  in  Vir- 
ginia, we  will  laugh  at  our  past  difficulties  and  the 
folly  of  others ;  and  I  will  endeavour,  by  every 
civility  in  my  power,  to  shew  you  how  much,  and 
how  sincerely,  I  am  your  affectionate  and  obedient 
servant. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       141 

TO    GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Valley  Forge,  December  31st,  1777. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  should  have  much  re- 
proached myself  the  liberty  I  took  of  writing  to 
your  excellency,  if  I  had  believed  it  could  engage 
you  in  the  trouble  of  answering  that  letter.  But 
now,  as  you  have  written  it,  I  must  tell  you  that 
I  received  this  favour  with  the  greatest  satisfaction 
and  pleasure.  Every  assurance  and  proof  of  your 
affection  fills  my  heart  with  joy,  because  that  sen- 
timent of  yours  is  extremely  dear  and  precious  to 
me.  A  tender  and  respectful  attachment  for  you, 
and  an  invariable  frankness,  will  be  found  in  my 
mind  as  you  know  me  better;  but,  after  those 
merits,  I  must  tell  you,  that  very  few  others  are  to 
be  found.  I  never  wished  so  heartily  to  be  in- 
trusted by  nature  with  an  immensity  of  talents  than 
on  this  occasion ;  I  could  be  then  of  some  use  to 
your  glory  and  happiness,  as  well  as  to  my  own. 

What  man  do  not  join  the  pure  ambition  of  glory 
with  this  other  ambitious  of  advancement,  rank, 
and  fortune  ?  As  an  ardent  lover  of  laurels,  I  can- 
not bear  the  idea  that  so  noble  <a  sentiment  should 
be  mixed  with  any  low  one.  In  your  preaching 
moderation  to  the  brigadiers  upon  such  an  occasion , 
I  am  not  surprised  to  recognise  your  virtuous  cha- 
racter. As  I  hope  my  warm  interest  is  known  to 
your  excellency,  I  dare  entertain  the  idea  that  you 
will  be  so  indulgent  as  to  let  me  know  everything 
concerning  you,  whenever  you  will  not  bev  under 
the  law  of  secrecy  or  particular  circumstances. 

With  the  most  tender  and  affectionate  friendship 
— with  the  most  profound  respect — I  have  the  ho- 
nour to  be,  &c. 


142      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 


fO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Camp,  near  Valley^Forge,  January  6th,  1778. 

WHAT  a  date,  my  dearest  love,  and  from  what  a 
region  I  am  now  writing,  in  the  month  of  January  ! 
It  is  in  a  camp,  in  the  centre  of  woods,  fifteen 
hundred  leagues  from  you,  that  I  find  myself  en- 
closed in  the  midst  of  winter.  It  is  not  very  long 
since  we  were  only  separated  from  the  enemy  by  a 
small  river ;  we  are  at  present  stationed  seven 
leagues  from  them,  and  it  is  on  this  spot  that  the 
American  army  will  pass  the  whole  winter,  in  small 
barracks,  which  are  scarcely  more  cheerful  than 
dungeons.  I  know  not  whether  it  will  be  agreeable 
to  General  Howe  to  visit  our  new  city,  in  which 
case  we  would  endeavour  to  receive  him  with  all 
due  honour.  The  bearer  of  this  letter  will  describe 
to  you  the  pleasant  residence  which  I  choose  in 
preference  to  the  happiness  of  being  with  you,  with 
all  my  friends,  in  the  midst  of  all  possible  enjoy- 
ments ;  in  truth,  my  love,  do  you  not  believe  that 
powerful  reasons  are  requisite  to  induce  a  person  to 
make  such  a  sacrifice  ?  Everything  combined  to 
urge  me  to  depart, — honour  alone  told  me  to  re- 
main ;  and  when  you  learn  in  detail  the  circum- 
stances in  which  I  am  placed,  those  in  which  the 
army,  my  friend,  its  commander,  and  the  whole 
American  cause  were  placed,  you  will  not  only  for- 
give me,  but  you  will  excuse,  and  I  may  almost 
venture  to  say,  applaud  me.  What  a  pleasure  I  shall 
feel  in  explaining  to  you  myself  all  the  reasons  of 
my  conduct,  and,  in  asking,  whilst  embracing  you, 
a  pardon,  which  I  am  very  certain  I  shall  then 
obtain !  But  do  not  condemn  me  before  hearing 
my  defence.  In  addition  to  the  reasons  I  have  given 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       143 

you,  there  is  one  other  reason  which  I  would  not 
relate  to  every  one,  because  it  might  appear  like 
affecting  airs  of  ridiculous  importance.  My  pre- 
sence is  more  necessary  at  this  moment  to  the 
American  cause,  than  you  can  possibly  conceive  ; 
many  foreigners,  who  have  been  refused  employ- 
ment, or  whose  ambitious  views  have  been  frus- 
trated, have  raised  up  some  powerful  cabals ;  they 
have  endeavoured,  by  every  sort  of  artifice,  to  make 
me  discontented  with  this  revolution,  and  with  him 
who  is  its  chief ;  they  have  spread  as  widely  as  they 
could,  the  report  that  I  was  quitting  the  continent. 
The  English  have  proclaimed  also,  loudly,  the  same 
intention  on  my  side.  I  cannot  in  conscience  ap- 
pear to  justify  the  malice  of  these  people.  If  I 
were  to  depart,  many  Frenchmen  who  are  useful 
here  would  follow  my  example.  General  Washing- 
ton would  feel  very  unhappy  if  I  were  to  speak  of 
quitting  him  ;  his  confidence  in  me  is  greater  than 
I  dare  acknowledge,  on  account  of  my  youth.  In 
the  place  he  occupies,  he  is  liable  to  be  surrounded 
by  flatterers  or  secret  enemies  ;  he  finds  in  me  a 
secure  friend,  in  whose  bosom  he  may  always  con- 
fide his  most  secret  thoughts,  and  who  will  always 
speak  the  truth.  Not  one  day  passes  without  his 
holding  long  conversations  with  me,  writing  me  long 
letters,  and  he  has  the  kindness  to  consult  me  on 
the  most  important  matters.  A  peculiar  circum- 
stance is  occurring  at  this  moment  which  renders 
my  presence  of  some  use  to  him :  this  is  not  the 
time  to  speak  of  my  departure.  I  am  also  at  pre- 
sent engaged  in  an  interesting  correspondence  with 
the  president  of  congress.  The  desire  to  debase 
England,  to  promote  the  advantage  of  my  own 
country,  and  the  happiness  of  humanity,  which  is 
strongly  interested  in  the  existence  of  one  perfectly 


144      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

free  nation,  all  induces  me  not  to  depart  at  the  mo- 
ment when  my  absence  might  prove  injurious  to  the 
cause  I  have  embraced.  The  General,  also,  after  a 
slight  success  in  Jersey,  requested  me,  with  the 
unanimous  consent  of  congress,  to  accept  a  division 
in  the  army,  and  to  form  it  according  to  my  own 
judgment,  as  well  as  my  feeble  resources  might  per- 
mit ;  I  ought  not  to  have  replied  to  such  a  mark  of 
confidence,  by  asking  what  were  his  commissions 
for  Europe.  These  are  some  of  the  reasons,  which 
I  confide  to  you,  with  an  injunction  of  secrecy.  I 
will  repeat  to  you  many  more  in  person,  which 
I  dare  not  hazard  in  a  letter.  This  letter  will  be 
given  you  by  a  good  Frenchman,  who  has  come  a 
hundred  miles  to  ask  me  for  my  commissions.  I 
wrote  to  you  a  few  days  ago  by  the  celebrated  Mr. 
Adams ;  he  will  facilitate  your  sending  me  letters. 
You  must  have  received  those  I  sent  you  as  soon  as 
I  heard  of  your  confinement.  How  very  happy  that 
event  has  rendered  me,  my  dearest  love  !  I  delight 
in  speaking  of  it  in  all  my  letters,  because  I  delight 
in  occupying  myself  with  it  at  every  moment  of  my 
life  !  What  a  pleasure  it  will  give  me  to  embrace 
my  two  poor  little  girls,  and  make  them  request 
their  mother  to  forgive  me !  You  do  not  believe 
me  so  hard  hearted,  and  at  the  same  time  so  ridicu- 
lous, as  to  suppose  that  the  sex  of  our  new  infant 
can  have  diminished  in  any  degree  my  joy  at  its 
birth.  Our  age  is  not  so  far  advanced,  that  we  may 
not  expect  to  have  another  child,  without  a  miracle 
from  Heaven.  The  next  one  must  absolutely  be  a 
boy.  However,  if  it  be  on  account  of  the  name 
that  we  are  to  regret  not  having  a  son,  I  declare 
that  I  have  formed  the  project  of  living  long  enough 
to  bear  it  many  years  myself,  before  I  yield  it  to  any 
other  person.  I  am  indebted  to  the  Marshal  de 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       145 

Noailles  for  the  joyful  news.  I  am  anxiously  ex- 
pecting a  letter  from  you.  I  received  the  other  day 
one  from  Desplaces,  who  mentioned  having  sent  a 
preceding  one  ;  but  the  caprice  of  the  winds,  without 
speaking  of  English  ships,  often  deranges  the  order 
of  my  correspondence.  I  was  for  some  days  very 
uneasy  about  the  Viscount  de  Coigny,  who,  some  of 
my  letters  announced,  was  in  a  precarious  state  of 
health.  But  that  letter  from  Desplaces,  who  told 
me  all  were  well,  without  mentioning  the  viscount's 
name,  has  quite  reassured  me.  I  have  also  received 
some  other  letters  which  do  not  speak  of  his  health. 
"When  you  write,  I  entreat  you  to  send  me  many 
details  of  all  the  people  whom  I  love,  and  even  of 
all  my  acquaintance.  It  is  very  extraordinary  that 
I  have  not  heard  of  Madame  de  Fronsac's  confine- 
ment. Say  a  thousand  tender  and  respectful  things 
from  me  to  her,  as  well  as  to  the  Countess  Auguste. 
If  those  ladies  do  not  enter  into  the  reasons  which 
force  me  to  remain  here,  they  must  indeed  think 
me  a  most  absurd  being,  more  especially  as  they 
have  opportunities  of  seeing  clearly  what  a  charm- 
ing wife  I  am  separated  from ;  but  even  that  may 
prove  to  them  what  powerful  motives  must  guide 
my  conduct.  Several  general  officers  have  brought 
their  wives  to  the  camp ;  I  envy  them — not  their 
wives — but  the  happiness  they  enjoy  in  being  able  to 
see  them.  General  Washington  has  also  resolved 
to  send  for  his  wife.  As  to  the  English,  they  have 
received  a  reinforcement  of  three  hundred  young 
ladies  from  New  York ;  and  we  have  captured  a 
vessel  filled  with  chaste  officers'  wives,  who  had  come 
to  rejoin  their  husbands  :  they  were  in  great  fear  of 
being  kept  for  the  American  army. 

You  will  learn  by  the  bearer  of  this  letter  that 
my  health  is  very  good,  that  my  wound  is  healed, 

VOL.  i.  L 


146      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

and  that  the  change  of  country  has  produced  no 
effect  upon  me.  Do  you  not  think  that,  at  my 
return,  we  shall  be  old  enough  to  establish  ourselves 
in  our  own  house,  live  there  happily  together,  re- 
ceive our  friends,  institute  a  delightful  state  of  free- 
dom, and  read  foreign  newspapers,  without  feeling 
any  curiosity  to  judge  by  ourselves  of  what  may  pass 
in  foreign  countries  ?  I  enjoy  thus  building,  in 
France,  castles  of  felicity  and  pleasure  :  you  always 
share  them  with  me,  my  dearest  love,  and  when  we 
are  once  united,  nothing  shall  again  separate  us,  or 
prevent  our  experiencing  together,  and  through  each 
other,  the  joy  of  mutual  affection,  and  the  sweetest 
and  most  tranquil  happiness.  Adieu,  my  love  ;  I 
only  wish  this  project  could  be  executed  on  this 
present  day.  Would  it  not  be  agreeable  to  you 
also  ?  Present  my  tender  respects  to  Madame 
d'Ayen  :  embrace  a  thousand  times  the  viscountess 
and  my  sisters.  Adieu,  adieu  ;  continue  to  love 
me,  and  forget  not  for  a  moment  the  unhappy  exile 
who  thinks  incessantly  of  thee  with  renewed  ardour 
and  tenderness. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  shall  make  use,  in  this  parti- 
cular instance,  of  the  liberty  you  gave  me,  of  tell- 
ing freely  every  idea  of  mine  which  could  strike  me 
as  not  being  useless  to  a  better  order  of  things. 

There  were  two  gentlemen,  same  rank,  same  duty 
to  perform,  and  same  neglf  ct  of  it,  who  have  been 
arrested  the  same  day  by  me.  As  I  went  in  the 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       147 

night  around  the  picquets,  I  found  them  in  fault, 
and  I  gave  an  account  of  it  the  next  day  to  your 
excellency.  You  answered,  that  I  was  much  in 
wrong  not  to  have  had  them  relieved  and  arrested 
immediately.  I  objected  that  it  was  then  very  late 
for  such  a  changement,  and  that  I  did  not  know 
which  was  the  rule  in  this  army,  but  that  the  gen- 
tlemen should  be  arrested  in  that  very  moment. 
The  last  answer  of  your  excellency  has  been,  "  they 
are  to  have  a  court-martial,  and  you  must  give  no- 
tice of  it  to  the  adjutant-general."  Therefore, 
Major  Nevil  made  two  letters  in  order  to  arrest 
them,  one  for  having  been  surprised  in  his  post,  and 
the  other,  for  the  same  cause,  and  allowing  his  sen- 
tries  to  have  fires,  which  he  could  see  in  standing  be- 
fore the  picquet.  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour, 
that  there  was  not  any  exaggeration. 

Now  I  see  in  the  orders,  the  less  guilty  punished 
in  a  manner  much  too  severe  indeed,  and  dismissed 
from  the  service,  (it  is  among  all  the  delicate  minds 
deprived  of  his  honour,)  when  he  was  only  to  be 
severely  reprimanded  and  kept  for  some  time  under 
arrest.  But  it  can  be  attributed  to  a  very  severe 
discipline. 

What  must  I  think  of  the  same  court,  when  they 
unanimously  acquit  (it  is  to  say  that  my  accusation 
is  not  true)  the  officer  who  joins  to  the  same  fault, 
entirely  the  same  this,  of  allowing  his  sentries  to 
have  fire  in  his  own  sight ;  for  in  every  service 
being  surprised  or  being  found  in  the  middle  of  his 
picquet  without  any  challenging  or  stopping  sentry, 
as  Major  Nevil,  riding  before  me,  found  him,  is 
entirely  the  same  thing  ;  and  Major  Nevil,  riding 
before  me,  when  I  was  busy  to  make  a  sentry  pull 
off  his  fire,  can  swear  that  such  was  the  case  with 
that  officer — he  can  do  more  than  swearing,  for  he 

L  2 


148       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

can  give  his  word  of  honour,  and  I  think  that  idea 
honour  is  the  same  in  every  country. 

But  the  prejuges  are  not  the  same  thing ;  for 
giving  publicly  the  best  of  such  a  dispute  (for  here 
it  becomes  a  trial  for  both  parties)  to  an  officer  of 
the  last  military  stage  against  one  of  the  first,  should 
be  looked  on  as  an  affront  to  the  rank,  and  acquit- 
ting a  man,  whom  one  other  man  accuses,  looked 
upon  as  an  affront  to  the  person.  It  is  the  same  in 
Poland,  for  Count  de  Pulaski  was  much  affronted 
at  the  decision  of  a  court-martial  entirely  acquitting 
Colonel  Molens.  However,  as  I  know  the  English 
customs,  I  am  nothing  else  but  surprised  to  see 
such  a  partiality  in  a  court-martial. 

Your  excellency  will  certainly  approve  my  not 
arresting  any  officer  for  being  brought  before  a 
court-martial  for  any  neglect  of  duty ;  but  when 
they  will  be  robbers  or  cowards,  or  when  they  will 
assassinate — in  all,  when  they  will  deserve  being 
cashiered  or  put  to  death. 

Give  me  leave  to  tell  your  excellency  how  I  am 
adverse  to  court-martials.  I  know  it  is  the  English 
custom,  and  I  believe  it  is  a  very  bad  one.  It  comes 
from  their  love  of  lawyers,  speakers,  and  of  that 
black  apparatus  of  sentences  and  judgments ;  but 
such  is  not  the  American  temper,  and  I  think  this 
new  army  must  pick  up  the  good  institutions,  and 
leave  the  bad  ones  wherever  they  may  be.  In 
France,  an  officer  is  arrested  by  his  superior,  who 
gives  notice  of  it  to  the  commanding  officer,  and 
then  he  is  punished  enough  in  being  deprived  of 
going  out  of  his  room  in  time  of  peace — of  going 
his  duty  in  time  of  war.  Nobody  knows  of  it  but 
his  comrades.  When  the  fault  is  greater,  he  is 
confined  in  a  common  room  for  prisoner  officers, 
and  this  is  much  more  shameful.  Notice  of  it  is 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       149 

immediately  given  to  the  general  officer  who  com- 
mands there.  That  goes,  too,  to  the  king's  minister, 
who  is  to  be  replaced  here  by  the  commander-in- 
chief;  in  time  of  war,  it  goes  to  the  general-in- 
chief. 

Soldiers  are  punished  the  same,  or  next  day,  by 
order  of  proper  officers,  and  the  right  of  punishing 
is  proportionate  to  their  ranks. 

But  wrhen  both  officers  and  soldiers  have  done 
something  which  deserves  a  more  severe  punish- 
ment ;  when  their  honour,  or  their  life,  or  their 
liberty  for  more  than  a  very  short  time,  is  con- 
cerned, then  a  court-martial  meets,  and  the  sen- 
tence is  known.  How  will  you  let  an  unhappy 
soldier  be  confined  several  weeks  with  men  who 
are  to  be  hanged,  with  spies,  with  the  most  horrid 
sort  of  people,  and  in  the  same  time  be  lost  for  the 
duty,  when  they  deserve  only  some  lashes.  There 
is  no  proportion  in  the  punishments. 

How  is  it  possible  to  carry  a  gentleman  before  a 
parcel  of  dreadful  judges,  at  the  same  place  where 
an  officer  of  the  same  rank  has  been  just  now 
cashiered,  for  a  trifling  neglect  of  his  duty  ;  for,  I 
suppose,  speaking  to  his  next  neighbour,  in  a 
manoeuvre  for  going  into  a  house  to  speak  to  a 
pretty  girl,  when  the  army  is  on  its  march,  and  a 
thousand  other  things  ?  How  is  it  possible  to  bring 
to  the  certainty  of  being  cashiered  or  dishonoured, 
a  young  lad  who  has  made  a  considerable  fault  be- 
cause he  had  a  light  head,  a  too  great  vivacity, 
when  that  young  man  would  be,  perhaps,  in  some 
years,  the  best  officer  of  the  army,  if  he  had  been 
friendly  reprimanded  and  arrested  for  some  time, 
without  any  dishonour  ? 

The  law  is  always  severe,  and  brings  with  it  an 
eternal  shameful  mark.  When  the  judges  are  par- 


150      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

tial,  as  on  this  occasion,  it  is  much  worse,  because 
they  have  the  same  inconvenience  as  law  itself. 

In  court-martial,  men  are  judged  by  their  infe- 
riors. How  it  is  averse  to  discipline,  I  don't  want  to 
say.  The  publication  exposes  men  to  be  despised 
by  the  least  soldier.  When  men  have  been  before 
a  court-martial,  they  should  be  or  acquitted  or  dis- 
missed. What  do  you  think  can  be  produced  by 
the  half  condemnation  of  a  general  officer  ?  What 
necessity  for  all  the  soldiers,  all  the  officers,  to 
know  that  General  Maxwell  has  been  prevented  from 
doing  his  duty  by  his  being  drunk  ?  Where  is  the  man 
who  will  not  laugh  at  him,  if  he  is  told  by  him,  you 
are  a  drunkard ;  and  is  it  right  to  ridiculize  a  man, 
respectable  by  his  rank,  because  he  drank  two  or 
three  gills  of  rum  ? 

These  are  my  reasons  against  courts-martial,  when 
there  is  not  some  considerable  fault  to  punish.  Ac- 
cording to  my  affair,  I  am  sorry  in  seeing  the  less 
guilty  being  the  only  one  punished.  However,  I  shall 
send  to  courts-martial  but  for  such  crimes  that  there 
will  be  for  the  judges  no  way  of  indulgence  and 
partiality. 

With  the  most  tender  respect,  I  am,  &c. 


TO   MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

York,  February  3rd,  1778. 

I  SHALL  never  have  any  cause  to  reproach  myself, 
my  dearest  love,  with  having  allowed  an  oppor- 
tunity to  pass  without  writing  to  you,  and  I  have 
found  one  by  M.  du  Bouchet,  who  has  the  happi- 
ness of  embarking  for  France.  You  must  have 
already  received  several  letters  in  which  I  speak  of 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      151 

the  birth  of  our  new  infant,  and  of  the  pleasure  this 
joyful  event  has  given  me.  If  I  thought  that  you 
could  imagine  the  happiness  I  feel  at  this  event  had 
been  at  all  diminished  because  our  Anastasia  is  only 
a  daughter,  I  should  be  so  much  displeased  with 
you,  that  I  should  but  love  you  a  very  little  for  a 
few  moments.  O,  my  love !  what  an  enchanting 
pleasure  it  will  be  for  me  to  embrace  you  all ;  what 
a  consolation  to  be  able  to  weep  with  my  other 
friends  for  the  dear  friend  whom  I  have  lost ! 

I  will  not  give  you  a  long  account  of  the  proofs 
of  confidence  with  which  I  have  been  honoured  by 
America.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Canada  is  oppressed 
by  the  English ;  the  whole  of  that  immense  country 
is  in  the  power  of  the  enemy,  who  are  there  in  pos- 
session of  troops,  forts,  and  a  fleet.  I  am  to  repair 
thither  with  the  title  of  General  of  the  Northern 
Army,  at  the  head  of  three  thousand  men,  to  see 
if  no  evil  can  be  done  to  the  English  in  that 
country.  The  idea  of  rendering  the  whole  of  New 
France  free,  and  of  delivering  her  from  a  heavy 
yoke,  is  too  glorious  for  me  to  allow  myself  to  dwell 
upon  it.  My  army  would,  in  that  case,  increase  at 
an  immense  rate,  and  would  be  increased  also  by 
the  French.  I  am  undertaking  a  most  difficult 
task,  above  all  taking  into  account  the  few  resources 
I  possess.  As  to  those  my  own  merit  offers,  they 
are  very  trifling  in  comparison  to  the  importance  of 
the  place  ;  nor  can  a  man  of  twenty  be  fit  to  com- 
mand an  army,  charged  with  the  numerous  details 
to  which  a  general  must  attend,  and  having  under 
his  direct  orders  a  vast  extent  of  country. 

The  number  of  the  troops  I  shall  command  would 
appear,  I  own,  trifling  in  Europe,  lut  it  is  consider- 
able for  America.  What  gives  me  most  pleasure  in 


152      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

all  this  is,  that,  under  any  circumstances,  I  shall  be 
now  sooner  able  to  inform  you.  How  delightful  it 
will  be  to  hurry  through  my  affairs  with  the  En- 
glish there  above  !  I  am  just  setting  out  for  Albany, 
and  from  thence  to  another  place,  nearly  an  hundred 
and  fifty  leagues  from  hence,  where  my  labours  will 
commence.  I  shall  go  part  of  the  way  on  sledges  ; 
having  once  reached  that  spot,  I  shall  have  only  ice 
to  tread  upon. 

I  do  not  write  to  any  of  my  friends  by  this  oppor- 
tunity. I  have  an  immense  deal  of  business  to  do  ; 
there  is  an  infinite  number  of  military  and  political 
affairs  to  arrange ;  there  are  so  many  things  to  re- 
pair, so  many  new  obstacles  to  remove,  that  I  should 
require,  in  truth,  forty  years'  experience,  and  very 
superior  talents,  to  be  able  to  conquer  all  the  diffi- 
culties I  meet  with.  I  will,  at  least,  do  the  best  I 
can,  and  if  I  only  succeed  in  occupying  the  enemy's 
attention  in  the  north,  even  if  I  do  them  no  other 
injury,  it  would  be  rendering  an  important  service, 
and  my  little  army  would  not  be  wholly  useless. 
Be  so  kind  as  to  tell  the  prince*  that  his  youthful 
captain,  although  now  a  general-in-chief,  has  not 
acquired  more  knowledge  than  he  possessed  at  Po- 
ly gone,  and  that  he  knows  not  how,  unless  chance 
or  his  good  angel  should  direct  him,  to  justify  the 
confidence  which  has  been  placed  in  him.  A  thou- 
sand tender  respects  to  Madame  d'Ayen.  A  thou- 
sand assurances  of  my  tender  affection  to  the 
viscountess  and  all  my  sisters.  Do  not  forget  me 
to  your  father,  Madame  de  Tesse,  and  the  Marshal 
de  Noailles.  Adieu,  adieu,  my  dearest  love ;  em- 


*  The  Prince  de  Poix,  colonel  of  the  regiment  de   Noailles,  in 
which  M.  de  Lafayette  was  captain. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      153 

brace  our  dear  children ;  I  embrace  a  million  of 
times  their  beloved  mother.  When  shall  I  find 
myself  again  within  her  arms  ? 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Hemingtown,  the  9th  February,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  cannot  let  go  my  guide  without 
taking  this  opportunity  of  writing  to  your  excellency, 
though  I  have  not  yet  public  business  to  speak  of. 
I  go  on  very  slowly ;  sometimes  drenched  by  rain, 
sometimes  covered  by  snow,  and  not  entertaining 
many  handsome  thoughts  about  the  projected  in- 
cursion into  Canada  ;  if  successes  were  to  be  had, 
it  would  surprise  me  in  a  most  agreeable  manner 
by  that  very  reason  that  I  don't  expect  any  shining 
ones.  Lake  Champlain  is  too  cold  for  producing 
the  least  bit  of  laurel,  and  if  I  am  not  starved 
I  shall  be  as  proud  as  if  I  had  gained  three  bat- 
tles. 

Mr.  Duer  had  given  to  me  a  rendezvous  at  a 
tavern,  but  nobody  was  to  be  found  there.  I  fancy 
that  he  will  be  with  Mr.  Con  way  sooner  than  he  has 
told  me  ;  they  will  perhaps  conquer  Canada  before 
my  arrival,  and  I  expect  to  meet  them  at  the  gover- 
nor's house  in  Quebec. 

Could  I  believe,  for  one  single  instant,,  that  this 
pompous  command  of  a  northern  army  will  let  your 
excellency  forget  a  little  us  absent  friends,  then,  I 
would  send  the  project  to  the  place  it  comes  from. 
But  I  dare  hope  that  you  will  remember  me  some- 
times. I  wish  you,  very  heartily,  the  greatest 


154      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

public  and  private  happiness  and  successes.  It  is  a 
very  melancholy  idea  for  me  that  I  cannot  follow 
your  fortunes  as  near  your  person  as  I  could  wish ; 
but  my  heart  will  take,  very  sincerely,  its  part  of 
everything  which  can  happen  to  you,  and  I  am 
already  thinking  of  the  agreeable  moment  when  I 
may  come  down  to  assure  your  excellency  of  the 
most  tender  affection  and  highest  respect.  I  have 
the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Albany,  the  19th  February,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — Why  am  I  so  far  from  you 
and  what  business  had  the  board  of  war  to  hurry 
me  through  the  ice  and  snow  without  knowing 
what  I  should  do,  neither  what  they  were  doing 
themselves?  You  have  thought,  perhaps,  that 
their  project  would  be  attended  with  some  difficulty, 
that  some  means  had  been  neglected,  that  I  could 
not  obtain  all  the  success  and  the  immensity  of 
laurels  which  they  had  promised  to  me  ;  but  I  defy 
your  excellency  to  conceive  any  idea  of  what  I 
have  seen  since  I  left  the  place  where  I  was  quiet 
and  near  my  friends,  to  run  myself  through  all  the 
blunders  of  madness  or  treachery  (God  knows 
what).  Let  me  begin  the  journal  of  my  fine  and 
glorious  campaign. 

According  to  Lord  Stirling's  advice,  I  went  by 
Corich-ferry  to  Ringo's  tavern,  where  Mr.  Duer  had 
given  me  a  rendezvous  ;  but  there  no  Duer  was  to 
be  found,  and  they  did  never  hear  from  him. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       155 

From  thence  I  proceeded  by  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  friends  of  America 
as  warm  in  their  love  for  the  commander-in-chief  as 
his  best  friend  could  wish.  I  spoke  to  Governor 
Clinton,  and  was  much  satisfied  with  that  gentle- 
man. At  length  I  met  Albany,  the  17th,  though  I 
was  not  expected  before  the  25th.  General  Con- 
way  had  been  here  only  three  days  before  me,  and 
I  must  confess  I  found  him  very  active  and  looking 
as  if  he  had  good  intentions  ;  but  we  know  a  great 
deal  upon  that  subject.  His  first  word  has  been 
that  the  expedition  is  quite  impossible.  I  was  at 
first  very  diffident  of  this  report,  but  have  found 
that  he  was  right.  Such  is,  at  least,  the  idea  I  can 
form  of  this  ill-concerted  operation  within  these 
two  days. 

General  Schuyler,  General  Lincoln,  General 
Arnold,  had  written,  before  my  arrival,  to  General 
Conway,  in  the  most  expressive  terms,  that,  in  our 
present  circumstances,  there  was  no  possibility  to 
begin,  now,  an  enterprise  into  Canada.  Hay, 
deputy  quarter-master-general ;  Cuyler,  deputy 
commissary-general ;  Mearsin,  deputy  clothier-ge- 
neral, in  what  they  call  the  northern  department, 
are  entirely  of  the  same  opinion.  Colonel  Hazen, 
who  has  been  appointed  to  a  place  which  interferes 
with  the  three  others  above  mentioned,  was  the 
most  desirous  of  going  there.  The  reasons  of  such 
an  order  I  think  I  may  attribute  to  other  motives. 
The  same  Hazen  confesses  we  are  not  strong  enough 
to  think  of  the  expedition  in  this  moment.  As  to 
the  troops,  they  are  disgusted,  and  (if  you  except 
some  Hazen's  Canadians)  reluctant,  to  the  utmost 
degree,  to  begin  a  winter  incursion  in  a  so  cold 
country.  I  have  consulted  everybody,  and  every- 


156      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

body  answers  me  that  it  would  be  madness  to  under- 
take this  operation. 

I  have  been  deceived  by  the  board  of  war  ;  they 
have,  by  the  strongest  expressions,  promised  to  me 
one  thousand,  and  (what  is  more  to  be  depended 
upon)  they  have  assured  to  me  in  writing,  two  thou- 
sand and  Jive  hundred  combatants,  at  a  low  estimate. 
Now,  Sir,  I  do  not  believe  I  can  find,  in  all,  twelve 
hundred  fit  for  duty,  and  most  part  of  those  very , 
men  are  naked,  even  for  a  summer's  campaign.  I 
was  to  find  General  Stark  with  a  large  body,  and 
indeed  General  Gates  had  told  to  me,  General  Stark 
will  have  burnt  the  fleet  before  your  arrival.  Well, 
the  first  letter  I  receive  in  Albany  is  from  General 
Stark,  who  wishes  to  know  what  number  of  men,  from 
whence,  for  what  time,  for  what  rendezvous,  I  desire 
him  to  raise.  Colonel  Biveld,  who  was  to  rise  too, 
would  have  done  something  had  he  received  money. 
One  asks,  what  encouragement  his  people  will  have, 
the  other  has  no  clothes  ;  not  one  of  them  has  re- 
ceived a  dollar  of  what  was  due  to  them.  I  have 
applied  to  every  body,  I  have  begged  at  every  door 
I  could  these  two  days,  and  I  see  that  I  could  do 
something  were  the  expedition  to  be  begun  in  five 
weeks.  But  you  know  we  have  not  an  hour  to 
lose,  and  indeed  it  is  now  rather  too  late,  had  we 
every  thing  in  readiness. 

There  is  a  spirit  of  dissatisfaction  prevailing 
among  the  soldiers,  and  even  the  officers,  which  is 
owing  to  their  not  being  paid  for  some  time  since. 
This  department  is  much  indebted,  and  as  near  as  I 
can  ascertain,  for  so  short  a  time,  I  have  already  dis- 
covered near  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  due  to 
the  continental  troops,  some  militia,  the  quarter- 
master's department,  &c.  &c.  &c.  It  was  with  four 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       157 

hundred  thousand  dollars,  only  the  half  of  which 
is  arrived  to  day,  that  I  was  to  undertake  the  opera- 
tion, and  satisfy  the  men  under  my  commands.  I 
send  to  congress  the  account  of  those  debts.  Some 
clothes,  by  Colonel  Hazen's  activity,  are  arrived 
from  Boston,  but  not  enough  by  far,  and  the  greatest 
part  is  cut  off. 

We  have  had  intelligence  from  a  deserter,  who 
makes  the  enemy  stronger  than  I  thought.  There 
is  no  such  thing  as  straw  on  board  the  vessels  to 
burn  them.  I  have  sent  to  congress  a  full  account 
of  the  matter ;  I  hope  it  will  open  their  eyes.  What 
they  will  resolve  upon  I  do  not  know,  but  I  think  I 
must  wait  here  for  their  answer.  I  have  inclosed 
to  the  president,  copies  of  the  most  important  letters 
I  had  received.  It  would  be  tedious  for  your 
excellency,  were  I  to  undertake  the  minutest  detail 
of  everything ;  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that  the 
want  of  men,  clothes,  money,  and  the  want  of  time, 
deprives  me  of  all  hopes  as  to  this  excursion.  If  it 
may  begin  again  in  the  month  of  June,  by  the  east, 
I  cannot  venture  to  assure ;  but  for  the  present 
moment  such  is  the  idea  I  conceive  of  the  famous 
incursion,  as  far  as  I  may  be  informed,  in  a  so  short 
time. 

Your  excellency  may  judge  that  I  am  very  dis- 
tressed by  this  disappointment.  My  being  ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  expedition  is  known 
through  the  continent,  it  will  be  soon  known  in 
Europe,  as  I  have  been  desired,  by  members  of 
congress,  to  write  to  my  friends  ;  my  being  at  the 
head  of  an  army,  people  will  be  in  great  expecta- 
tions, and  what  shall  I  answer? 

I  am  afraid  it  will  reflect  on  my  reputation, 
and  I  shall  be  laughed  at.  My  fears  upon  that  sub- 
ject are  so  strong,  that  I  would  choose  to  become 


158      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

again  only  a  volunteer,  unless  congress  offers  the 
means  of  mending  this  ugly  business  by  some 
glorious  operation ;  but  I  am  very  far  from  giving 
to  them  the  least  notice  upon  that  matter.  General 
Arnold  seems  very  fond  of  a  diversion  against  New 
York,  and  he  is  too  sick  to  take  the  field  before  four 
or  five  months.  I  should  be  happy  if  something 
was  proposed  to  me  in  that  way,  but  I  will  never 
ask,  nor  even  seem  desirous,  of  anything  directly 
from  congress  ;  for  you,  dear  general,  I  know  very 
well,  that  you  will  do  everything  to  procure  me  the 
only  thing  I  am  ambitious  of — glory. 

I  think  your  excellency  will  approve  of  my 
staying  here  till  further  orders,  and  of  my  taking 
the  liberty  of  sending  my  despatches  to  congress  by 
a  very  quick  occasion,  without  going  through  the 
hands  of  my  general ;  but  I  was  desirous  to  acquaint 
them  early  of  my  disagreeable  and  ridiculous  situa- 
tion. 

With  the  greatest  affection  and  respect,  I  have 
the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON 
(ORIGINAL.) 

The  23rd  February,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  an  opportunity  of  writing 
to  your  excellency  which  I  will  not  miss  by  any 
means,  even  should  I  be  afraid  of  becoming  tedious 
and  troublesome  ;  but  if  they  have  sent  me  far  from 
you,  I  don't  know  for  what  purpose,  at  least  I  must 
make  some  little  use  of  my  pen,  to  prevent  all  commu- 
nication from  being  cut  off  between  your  excellency 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.        159 

and  myself.  I  have  written  lately  to  you  my  distress- 
ing, ridiculous,  foolish,  and,  indeed,  nameless  situa- 
tion. I  am  sent,  with  a  great  noise,  at  the  head  of 
an  army  for  doing  great  things ;  the  whole  conti- 
nent, France  and  Europe  herself,  and  what  is 
the  worse,  the  British  army,  are  in  great  expecta- 
tions. How  far  they  will  be  deceived,  how  Jar  we 
shall  be  ridiculed,  you  may  judge  by  the  candid  ac- 
count you  have  got  of  the  state  of  our  affairs. 

There  are  things,  I  dare  say,  in  which  I  am  de- 
ceived— a  certain  colonel  is  not  here  for  nothing : 
one  other  gentleman  became  very  popular  before  I 
went  to  this  place  ;  Arnold  himself  is  very  fond  of 
him.  Every  part  on  which  I  turn  to  look  I  am  sure  a 
cloud  is  drawn  before  my  eyes  ;  however,  there  are 
points  I  cannot  be  deceived  upon.  The  want  of 
money,  the  dissatisfaction  among  the  soldiers,  the 
disinclination  of  every  one  (except  the  Canadians, 
who  mean  to  stay  at  home)  for  this  expedition,  are 
as  conspicuous  as  possible ;  however,  I  am  sure  I 
will  become  very  ridiculous,  and  laughed  at.  My 
expedition  will  be  as  famous  as  the  secret  expedition 
against  Rhode  Island.  I  confess,  my  dear  general, 
that  I  find  myself  of  very  quick  feelings  whenever 
my  reputation  and  glory  are  concerned  in  anything. 
It  is  very  hard  indeed  that  such  a  part  of  my  hap- 
piness, without  which  I  cannot  live,  should  depend 
upon  schemes  which  I  never  knew  of  but  when 
there  was  no  time  to  put  them  into  execution.  I 
assure  you,  my  most  dear  and  respected  friend, 
that  I  am  more  unhappy  than  I  ever  was. 

My  desire  of  doing  something  was  such,  that  I 
have  thought  of  doing  it  by  surprise  with  a  detach- 
ment, but  it  seems  to  me  rash  and  quite  impossible. 
I  should  be  very  happy  if  you  were  here  to  give  me 
some  advice ;  but  I  have  nobody  to  consult  with. 


160       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

They  have  sent  to  me  more  than  twenty  French 
officers ;  I  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  them ;  I 
beg  you  will  acquaint  me  the  line  of  conduct  you 
advise  me  to  follow  on  every  point.  I  am  at  a  loss 
how  to  act,  and  indeed  I  do  not  know  what  I  am 
here  for  myself.  However,  as  being  the  eldest  officer, 
(after  General  Arnold  has  desired  me  to  take  the 
command,)  I  think  it  is  my  duty  to  mind  the  busi- 
ness of  this  part  of  America  as  well  as  I  can.  Ge- 
neral Gates  holds  yet  the  title  and  power  of  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Northern  department ;  but, 
as  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  are  arrived,  I  have 
taken  upon  myself  to  pay  the  most  necessary  part 
of  the  debts  we  are  involved  in.  I  am  about  send- 
ing provisions  to  Fort  Schuyller  :  I  will  go  to  see 
the  fort.  I  will  try  to  get  some  clothes  for  the  troops, 
to  buy  some  articles  for  the  next  campaign.  I  have 
directed  some  money  to  be  borrowed  upon  my 
credit  to  satisfy  the  troops,  who  are  much  discon- 
tented. In  all  I  endeavour  to  do  for  the  best, 
though  I  have  no  particular  authority  or  instruc- 
tions ;  and  I  will  come  as  near  as  I  can  to  General 
Gates's  intentions,  but  I  want  much  to  get  an  an- 
swer to  my  letters. 

I  fancy  (between  us)  that  the  actual  scheme  is  to 
have  me  out  of  this  part  of  the  continent,  and  Ge- 
neral Conway  in  chief,  under  the  immediate  direc- 
tion of  General  Gates.  How  they  will  bring  it  up  I 
do  not  know,  but  you  may  be  sure  something  of  that 
kind  will  appear.  You  are  nearer  than  myself,  and 
every  honest  man  in  congress  is  your  friend  ;  there- 
fore you  may  foresee  and  prevent,  if  possible,  the 
evil  a  hundred  times  better  than  I  can :  I  would 
only  give  that  idea  to  your  excellency. 

After  having  written  in  Europe  (by  the  desire  of 
the  members  of  congress)  so  many  fine  things  about 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       161 

my  commanding  an  army,  I  shall  be  ashamed  if  no- 
thing can  be  done  by  me  in  that  way.  I  am  told 
General  Putnam  is  recalled ;  but  your  excellency 
knows  better  than  I  do  what  would  be  convenient, 
therefore  I  don't  want  to  mind  these  things  myself. 
Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  present  my  respects  to 
your  lady.  With  the  most  tender  affection  and 
highest  respect,  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

LAFAYETTE. 


FROM   GENERAL  WASHINGTON    TO    THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Head  Quarters,  10th  March,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — I  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
receiving  your  two  favours  of  the  19th  and  23rd  of 
February,  and  hasten  to  dispel  those  fears  respect- 
ing your  reputation,  which  are  excited  only  by  an 
uncommon  degree  of  sensibility.  You  seem  to  ap- 
prehend that  censure,  proportioned  to  the  disap- 
pointed expectations  of  the  world,  will  fall  on  you 
in  consequence  of  the  failure  of  the  Canadian  expe- 
dition. But,  in  the  first  place,  it  will  be  no  disad- 
vantage to  you  to  have  it  known  in  Europe  that 
you  had  received  so  manifest  a  proof  of  the  good 
opinion  and  confidence  of  congress  as  an  important 
detached  command  ;  and  I  am  persuaded  that  every 
one  will  applaud  your  prudence  in  renouncing:  a 
project,  in  pursuing  which  you  would  vainly  have 
attempted  physical  impossibilities  ;  indeed,  unless 
you  can  be  chargeable  with  the  invariable  effects  of 
natural  causes,  and  be  arraigned  for  not  suspending 
the  course  of  the  seasons,  to  accommodate  your 

VOL.  I.  M 


162      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

march  over  the  lake,  the  most  prompt  to  slander 
can  have  nothing  to  found  blame  upon. 

However  sensibly  your  ardour  for  glory  may 
make  you  feel  this  disappointment,  you  may  be  as- 
sured that  your  character  stands  as  fair  as  ever  it 
did,  and  that  no  new  enterprise  is  necessary  to  wipe 
off  this  imaginary  stain.  The  expedition  which  you 
hint  at  I  think  unadvisable  in  our  present  circum- 
stances. Anything  in  the  way  of  a  formal  attack, 
which  would  necessarily  be  announced  to  the  enemy 
by  preparatory  measures,  would  not  be  likely  to 
succeed.  If  a  stroke  is  meditated  in  that  quarter, 
it  must  be  effected  by  troops  stationed  at  a  proper 
distance  for  availing  themselves  of  the  first  favour- 
able opportunity  offered  by  the  enemy,  and  success 
would  principally  depend  upon  the  suddenness  of 
the  attempt.  This,  therefore,  must  rather  be  the 
effect  of  time  and  chance  than  premeditation.  You 
undoubtedly  have  determined  judiciously  in  waiting 
the  further  orders  of  congress.  Whether  they  allow 
me  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  shortly,  or  destine 
you  to  a  longer  absence,  you  may  assure  yourself 
of  the  sincere  good  wishes  of, 

Dear  Sir,  &c. 

P.  S.  Your  directing  payment  of  such  debts  as 
appear  to  be  most  pressing  is  certainly  right.  There 
is  not  money  enough  to  answer  every  demand  ;  and 
I  wish  your  supplies  of  clothing  had  been  better. 
Your  ordering  a  large  supply  of  provisions  into  Fort 
Schuyler  was  a  very  judicious  measure,  and  I  thank 
you  for  it. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       163 

TO  BARON  DE  STEUBEN. 
(ORIGINAL — A  FRAGMENT.) 

Albany,  March  12th. 

PERMIT  me  to  express  my  satisfaction  at  your  having 
seen  General  Washington.  No  enemies  to  that 
great  man  can  be  found  except  among  the  enemies 
to  his  country  ;  nor  is  it  possible  for  any  man  of  a 
noble  spirit  to  refrain  from  loving  the  excellent  qua- 
lities of  his  heart.  I  think  I  know  him  as  well  as 
any  person,  and  such  is  the  idea  which  I  have 
formed  of  him ;  his  honesty,  his  frankness,  his  sen- 
sibility, his  virtue,  to  the  full  extent  in  which  this 
word  can  be  understood,  are  above  all  praise.  It  is 
not  for  me  to  judge  of  his  military  talents  ;  but,  ac- 
cording to  my  imperfect  knowledge  of  these  matters, 
his  advice  in  council  has  always  appeared  to  me  the 
best,  although  his  modesty  prevents  him  sometimes 
from  sustaining  it ;  and  his  predictions  have  gene- 
rally been  fulfilled.  I  am  the  more  happy  in  giving 
you  this  opinion  of  my  friend  with  all  the  sincerity 
which  I  feel,  because  some  persons  may  perhaps 
attempt  to  deceive  you  on  this  point. 


FRAGMENT    OF  A   LETTER    TO    THE 
PRESIDENT  OF  CONGRESS. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Albany,  20th  March,  1778. 

....  His  Excellency  General  Washington  will,  I 
believe,  mention  to  congress  that,  at  the  request  of 
the  commissioners  of  Indian  affairs,  I  send  Colonel 

M  2 


164      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

Gouvion,  and  have  given  proper  directions  for  the 
building  of  a  small  fort,  which  they  and  myself  have 
thought  very  necessary  to  he  granted  to  the  Oney- 
das.  The  love  of  the  French  blood,  mixed  with  the 
love  of  some  French  Louis  d'or,  have  engaged  those 
Indians  to  promise  they  would  come  with  me.* 

As  I  am  very  certain  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  will  not  propose  anything  to  me  but  con- 
sistent with  my  feelings  and  the  sentiment  I  flatter 
myself  to  have  obtained  from  them,  I  can  assure 
them,  by  advance,  that  any  post  they  will  give,  any 
disposition  they  will  make,  with  such  manners,  will 
be  cheerfully  received  and  complied  to  by  me  with 
acknowledgment.  However,  I  will  beg  leave  to 
say,  that  any  command,  whatever  honourable  it  may 
be,  where  I  would  not  be  so  near  the  danger  or 
occasions  of  doing  something,  I  shall  always  look 
upon  as  not  suited  to  me. 

I  never  mentioned  to  congress  a  long  letter  I  have 
written,  four  months  ago,  to  France,  about  a  pro- 
ject for  the  East  Indies,  to  which  I  expect  the 
answer.  Was  I  to  succeed  in  my  expectation,  it 
would  bring,  soon,  that  so  much  desired  French  war, 
in  spite  of  some  peaceful  men,  and  be  of  some  use 
to  the  noble  cause  of  freedom,  without  bringing  the 
continent  in  any  expense. 

With  the  greatest  respect,  I  have  the  honour  to 
be,  &c. 

*  M.  de  Lafayette,  during  this  journey,  some  curious 
relations  with  the  Indian,  in  a  letter  of  the  27th  of  February, 
to  General  Washington,  which,  being  void  of  interest  in  other 
respects,  has  been  suppressed.  It  appears  that  he  was  solicited 
by  General  Schuyler  to  be  present  at  a  numerous  meeting  of 
Indians,  convoked  for  a  treaty.  The  traces  of  those  communi- 
cations will  be  found  further. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  165 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Albany,  25th  March,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL,-T-HOW  happy  I  have  been  in 
receiving  your  excellency's  favour  of  the  tenth 
present;  I  hope  you  will  be  convinced  by  the 
knowledge  of  my  tender  affection  for  you.  I  am 
very  sensible  of  that  goodness  which  tries  to  dissi- 
pate my  fears  about  that  ridiculous  Canadian  expe- 
dition. At  the  present  time  we  know  which  was 
the  aim  of  the  honourable  board,  and  for  which 
project  three  or  four  men  have  rushed  the  country 
into  a  great  expense,  and  risked  the  reputation  of 
our  arms,  and  the  life  of  many  hundred  men,  had 
the  general,  your  deceived  friend,  been  as  rash  and 
foolish  as  they  seem  to  have  expected.  O,  American 
freedom,  what  shall  become  of  you  if  you  are  in 
such  hands  ? 

I  have  received  a  letter  from  the  board  and  a 
resolve  of  congress,*  by  which  you  are  directed  to 
recall  me  and  the  Baron  de  Kalb,  whose  presence  is 
deemed  absolutely  necessary  to  your  army.  I  be- 
lieve this  of  General  Conway  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  Albany,  and  he  has  received  orders  to  stay  there, 
which  I  have  no  objection  to,  as  nothing,  perhaps, 
will  be  done  in  this  quarter  but  some  disputes  of 
Indians  and  tories.  However,  you  know  I  have 
wrote  to  congress,  and  as  soon  as  their  leave  will 


*  That  congress  entertain  a  high  sense  of  his  prudence,  acti- 
vity, and  zeal,  and  that  they  are  fully  persuaded  nothing  has 
or  would  have  been  wanting  on  his  part,  or  on  the  part  of  his 
officers  who  accompanied  him,  to  give  the  expedition  the  utmost 
possible  effect. — (Secret  Journal,  March  2.) 


166      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

come,  I  shall  let  Conway  have  the  command  of  these 
few  regiments,  and  I  shall  immediately  join  my 
respectable  friend ;  but  till  I  have  received  instruc- 
tions for  leaving  that  place  from  yourself,  I  shall 
stay,  as  powerful  commander-in-chief,  as  if  con- 
gress had  never  resolved  my  presence  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  great  army. 

Since  your  last  letter,  I  have  given  up  the  idea  of 
New  York,  and  my  only  desire  is  to  join  you. 
The  only  favour  I  have  asked  of  your  commissioners 
in  France,  has  been,  not  to  be  under  any  orders  but 
those  of  General  Washington.  I  seem  to  have  had 
an  anticipation  of  our  future  friendship,  and  what  I 
have  done  out  of  esteem  and  respect  for  your  excel- 
lency's name  and  reputation,  I  should  do  now  out 
of  mere  love  for  General  Washington  himself.  I 
am  glad  to  hear  General  Greene  is  quarter-master- 
general  ;  it  is  very  interesting  to  have  there  an  honest 
man  and  a  friend  of  yours.  But  I  feel  the  greatest 
pain  not  to  hear  anything  about  reinforcements. 
What  can  you  do  with  a  handful  of  men, — and  my 
poor  division,  whom  I  was  so  desirous  of  instructing, 
clothing,  managing  myself  in  the  winter,  whom,  I 
was  told,  I  should  find  six  thousand  strong  at  the 
opening  of  the  campaign  ?  Don't  your  excellency 
think  that  I  could  recruit  a  little  in  General  Greene's 
division  now  that  he  is  quarter-master-general  ?  By 
that  promotion  I  find  myself  very  proud  to  be  the 
third  officer  of  your  army. 

With  the  utmost  respect  and  affection,  I  have  the 
honour  to  be,  &c. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  167 


TO  MADAME   DE   LAFAYETTE. 

Valley  Forge  Camp,  in  Pennsylvania,  April  14th,  1778. 

IF  thirty  opportunities  were  to  present  themselves 
at  once,  my  dearest  love,  you  may  rest  assured  that 
I  would  write  thirty  letters  ;  and  that,  if  you  do 
not  receive  any  news  from  me,  I  have  nothing,  at 
least,  to  reproach  myself  with.  This  letter  will  be 
accompanied  by  others,  saying  nearly  the  same 
things,  and  having  nearly  the  same  date ;  but  acci- 
dents are  unfortunately  very  common,  and  by  this 
means,  some  letters  may  reach  you  safely.  Re- 
specting your  own,  my  love,  I  prefer  accusing  fate, 
the  waves,  Lord  Howe,  and  the  devil,  to  suspecting 
you  for  one  moment  of  negligence.  I  am  convinced 
that  you  will  not  allow  a  single  opportunity  to 
escape  of  writing  to  me ;  but  I  should  feel,  if  pos- 
sible, still  more  so,  if  I  could  only  hope  that  you 
knew  the  degree  of  happiness  your  letters  give  me. 
I  love  you  more  ardently  than  ever,  and  repeated 
assurances  of  your  affection  are  absolutely  necessary 
to  my  repose,  and  to  that  species  of  felicity  which 
I  can  enjoy  whilst  separated  from  all  I  love  most 
fondly — if,  however,  the  word  felicity  can  be  applied 
to  my  melancholy,  exiled  state.  Endeavour  to  afford 
me  some  consolation,  and  neglect  no  opportunity  of 
writing  to  me.  Millions  of  ages  have  elapsed  since 
I  have  received  a  line  from  any  one.  This  complete 
ignorance  of  the  situation  of  all  those  who  are  most 
dear  to  me,  is,  indeed,  a  dreadful  calamity  :  I  have, 
however,  some  reason  to  believe  that  it  cannot  last 
for  ever ;  the  scene  will  soon  become  interesting ; 
France  must  take  some  decisive  part,  and  vessels 
will  then  arrive  with  letters.  I  can  give  you  no 
news  at  present ;  we  are  all  in  a  state  of  repose, 


168      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

and  are  waiting  with  impatience  for  the  opening 
campaign  to  awaken  us  from  our  stupor.  In  my 
other  letters,  I  mentioned  my  journey  to  Albany, 
and  my  visit  to  an  assembly  of  savages.  I  am  ex- 
pecting some  good  Iroquois  who  have  promised  to 
rejoin  me  here.  Either  after,  or  before  receiving 
this  letter,  Madame  d'Ayen,  the  viscountess,  and 
my  grandfather,*  will  receive  letters  by  an  opportu- 
nity which,  I  believe,  is  more  secure  than  the  one 
I  am  now  writing  by ;  I  have  written  a  longer  letter 
to  you  also  at  the  same  time.  I  write  an  immense 
number  of  epistles ;  God  grant  that  they  may 
arrive  !  Present  my  affectionate  respects  to  your 
mother,  and  my  grandfather ;  embrace  a  thousand 
times  the  viscountess  and  my  sisters  ;  recall  me  to 
the  remembrance  of  the  Countess  Auguste,  Madame 
de  Fronsac,  and  all  your  and  my  friends.  Embrace 
a  thousand  times  our  dearest  family.  When  shall 
I  be  able  to  assure  you,  my  dearest  life,  that  I  love 
you  better  than  any  other  person  in  the  world,  and 
that  I  shall  love  you  as  long  as  I  live  ?  Adieu  ;  I 
only  look  upon  this  letter  as  a  note. 

Present  my  respects  to  the  Marshal  de  Noailles, 
and  tell  him  that  I  have  sent  him  some  trees  from 
Albany  ;  but  I  will  send  him  others  also  at  various 
times,  that  I  may  feel  certain  of  his  receiving  a  few 
of  them.  When  you  present  my  compliments  to 
my  acquaintance,  do  not  forget  the  Chevalier  de 
Chastellux. 

*  The  Count  de  la  Riviere,  (Charles-Ives-Thibault),  lieu- 
tenant-captain of  the  black  musketeers,  was  grandfather  of  the 
mother  of  M.  de  Lafayette  of  whom  he  had  been  appointed 
guardian. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  169 


TO  MADAME   DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Germantown,  April  28th,  1778. 

I  WRITE  to  you,  my  dearest  love,  by  a  very  strange 
opportunity,  since  it  is  an  English  officer  who  has 
taken  charge  of  my  letter.  But  your  wonder  will 
cease,  when  you  hear  that  that  officer  is  my  friend 
Fit z -Patrick.*  He  is  returning  to  England,  and  I 
could  not  resist  my  wish  of  embracing  him  before 
his  departure.  It  was  the  first  time  we  had  met  un- 
armed in  America,  and  that  manner  of  meeting 
suits  us  both  much  better  than  the  hostile  appear- 
ance which  we  had,  until  now,  thought  proper  to 
affect.  It  is  long  since  I  have  received  any  news 
from  France,  and  I  am  very  impatiently  expecting 
letters.  Write  frequently,  my  love,  I  need  the  con- 
solation of  hearing  often  from  you  during  this  pain- 
ful separation.  There  is  no  important  news  ;  neither 
would  it  be  proper  for  Mr.  Fitz-Patrick  to  carry 
political  news  from  a  hand  at  present  engaged  in 
fighting  with  his  army.  I  am  in  perfect  health  ; 
my  wound  is  completely  healed,  but  my  heart  is  far 
from  being  tranquil,  for  I  am  far  from  all  those  I 
love  ;  and  my  anxiety  about  them,  as  well  as  my 
impatience  to  behold"  them,  increase  every  hour. 
Say  a  thousand  things  for  me  to  all  my  friends  ; 
present  my  respects  to  Madame  d'Ayen,  and  to  the 
Marshal  de  Noailles.  Embrace,  above  all,  our  chil- 
dren, my  dearest  love,  and  be  convinced  yourself 
that  every  moment  that  separates  me  from  you  and 

-j-  M.  de  Lafayette  had  become  very  intimate  with  him  in 
England :  he  is  the  same  General  Fitz-Patrick,  who  made  two 
famous  motions  in  the  House  of  Commons ;  the  one  March  17th, 
1794,  for  the  prisoners  of  Magdebourg,  and  the  other,  December 
16th,  1796,  for  the  prisoners  of  Olmutz. 


170      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

them  appears  to  me  an  age.  Adieu ;  I  must  quit 
you,  for  the  hour  is  far  advanced,  and  to-morrow 
will  not  be  an  idle  day.  Adieu,  Adieu  ! 


TO   GENERAL   WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Valley  Forge  Camp,  the  19th  May,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL,  —  Agreeable  to  your  excel- 
lency's orders,  I  have  taken  the  oath  of  the  gentle- 
men officers  in  General  Woodford's  brigade,  and 
their  certificates  have  been  sent  to  the  adjutant- 
general's  office.  Give  me  leave,  now,  to  present 
you  with  some  observations  delivered  to  me  by 
many  officers  in  that  brigade,  who  desire  me  to 
submit  them  to  your  perusal.  I  know,  sir,  (besides 
I  am  not  of  their  opinion  in  the  fact  itself,)  that  I 
should  not  accept  for  you  the  objections  those  gen- 
tlemen could  have  had,  as  a  body,  to  any  order  from 
congress ;  but  I  confess  the  desire  of  being  agree- 
able to  them,  of  giving  them  any  mark  of  friend- 
ship and  affection  which  is  in  my  power,  and  ac- 
knowledging the  kind  sentiments  they  honour  me 
with,  have  been  my  first  and  dearest  considerations. 
Besides  that,  be  pleased  to  consider  that  they  began 
by  obeying  orders,  and  want  only  to  let  their  be- 
loved general  know  which  were  the  reasons  of  their 
being  rather  reluctant  (as  far  as  reluctance  may 
comply  with  their  duty  and  honour)  to  an  oath,  the 
meaning  and  spirit  of  which  was,  I  believe,  misun- 
derstood by  them.  I  may  add,  sir,  with  a  perfect 
conviction,  that  there  is  not  one  among  them  but 
would  be  thrice  happy  were  occasions  offered 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       171 

to  them  of  distinguishing  yet,  by  new  exertions, 
their  love  for  their  country,  their  zeal  for  their  duty 
as  officers,  their  consideration  for  the  civil  superior 
power,  and  their  love  for  your  excellency. 

With  the  greatest  respect  and  most  tender  affec- 
tion,— I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO   THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp,  17th  May,  1778. 

DEAR  SIR, — I  received  yesterday  your  favour  of  the 
1 5th  instant,  enclosing  a  paper  subscribed  by  sundry 
officers  of  General  Woodford's  brigade,  setting  forth 
the  reasons  for  not  taking  the  oath  of  abjuration, 
allegiance,  and  office  ;  and  I  thank  you  much  for 
the  cautious  delicacy  used  in  communicating  the 
matter  to  me.  As  every  oath  should  be  a  free  act 
of  the  mind,  founded  on  the  conviction  of  its  pro- 
priety, I  would  not  wish,  in  any  instance,  that  there 
should  be  the  least  degree  of  compulsion  exercised ; 
nor  to  interpose  my  opinion,  in  order  to  induce  any 
to  make  it  of  whom  it  is  required.  The  gentlemen, 
therefore,  who  signed  the  paper,  will  use  their  own 
discretion  in  the  matter,  and  swear,  or  not  swear, 
as  their  conscience  and  feelings  dictate. 

At  the  same  time,  I  cannot  but  consider  it  as  a 
circumstance  of  some  singularity,  that  the  scruples 
against  the  oath  should  be  peculiar  to  the  officers  of 
one  brigade,  and  so  very  extensive.  The  oath  in 
itself  is  not  new.  It  is  substantially  the  same  with 
that  required  in  all  governments,  and,  therefore, 


172      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

does  not  imply  any  indignity ;  and  it  is  perfectly 
consistent  with  the  professions,  actions,  and  implied 
engagements  of  every  officer.  The  objection  founded 
on  the  supposed  unsettled  rank  of  the  officers,  is  of 
no  validity,  rank  being  only  mentioned  as  a  further 
designation  of  the  party  swearing ;  nor  can  it  be 
seriously  thought  that  the  oath  is  either  intended  to 
prevent,  or  can  prevent,  their  being  promoted,  or 
their  resignation. 

The  fourth  objection,  stated  by  the  gentlemen, 
serves  as  a  key  to  their  scruples  ;  and  I  would  wil- 
lingly persuade  myself,  that  their  own  reflections  will 
point  out  to  them  the  impropriety  of  the  whole  pro- 
ceeding, and  not  suffer  them  to  be  betrayed  in 
future  into  a  similar  conduct.  I  have  a  regard  for 
them  all,  and  cannot  but  regret  that  they  were  ever 
engaged  in  the  measure.  I  am  certain  they  will  regret 
it  themselves  ; — sure  I  am  that  they  ought.  I  am, 
my  dear  marquis,  vour  affectionate  friend  and 
servant. 


TO  THE  MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL — INSTRUCTION.*) 

SIR, — The  detachment  under  your  command,  with 
which  you  will  immediately  march  towards  the 
enemy's  lines,  is  designed  to  answer  the  following 

*  This  instruction  has  been  inserted  as  the  one  which  M.  de 
Lafayette  received  to  repair,  as  a  detached  body,  betwixt  the 
Delaware  and  Schuylkill.  It  was  after  this  movement  that  he 
made  the  retreat  of  Barren  Hill,  which  was  praised  by  General 
Washington.  (See  the  Memoirs,  in  Mr.  Spark's  collection,  the 
letter  of  Washington,  May  24th,  1778.) 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       173 

purposes ;  namely,  to  be  a  security  to  this  camp, 
and  a  cover  to  the  country,  between  the  Delaware 
and  the  Schuylkill,  to  interrupt  the  communication 
with  Philadelphia,  to  obstruct  the  incursions  of  the 
enemy's  parties,  and  to  obtain  intelligence  of  their 
motions  and  designs.  This  last  is  a  matter  of  very 
interesting  moment,  and  ought  to  claim  your  par- 
ticular attention.  You  will  endeavour  to  procure 
trusty  and  intelligent  spies,  who  will  advise  you 
faithfully  of  whatever  may  be  passing  in  the  city, 
and  you  will,  without  delay,  communicate  to  me 
every  piece  of  material  information  you  obtain.  A 
variety  of  concurring  accounts  make  it  probable 
that  the  enemy  are  preparing  to  evacuate  Philadel- 
phia ;  this  is  a  point  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
ascertain,  and,  if  possible,  the  place  of  their  future 
destination.  Should  you  be  able  to  gain  certain 
intelligence  of  the  time  of  their  intended  embark- 
ation, so  that  you  may  be  able  to  take  advantage  of 
it,  and  fall  upon  the  rear  of  the  enemy  in  the  act  of 
withdrawing,  it  will  be  a  very  desirable  event ;  but 
this  will  be  a  matter  of  no  small  difficulty,  and  will 
require  the  greatest  caution  and  prudence  in  the 
execution.  Any  deception  or  precipitation  may  be 
attended  with  the  most  disastrous  consequences. 

You  will  remember  that  your  detachment  is  a  very 
valuable  one,  and  that  any  accident  happening  to  it 
would  be  a  severe  blow  to  this  army  ;  you  will, 
therefore,  use  every  possible  precaution  for  its 
security,  and  to  guard  against  a  surprise.  No  at- 
tempt should  be  made,  nor  anything  risked,  without 
the  greatest  prospect  of  success,  and  with  every 
reasonable  advantage  on  your  side.  I  shall  not 
point  out  any  precise  position  to  you,  but  shall 
leave  it  to  your  discretion  to  take  such  posts  occa- 
sionally, as  shall  appear  to  you  best  adapted  to  the 


174       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

purposes  of  your  detachment.  In  general,  I  would 
observe,  that  a  stationary  post  is  unadvisable,  as  it 
gives  the  enemy  an  opportunity  of  knowing  your 
situation,  and  concerting  plans  successfully  against 
you.  In  case  of  any  offensive  movement  against  this 
army,  you  will  keep  yourself  in  such  a  state  as  to 
have  an  easy  communication  with  it,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  harass  the  enemy's  advance. 

Our  parties  of  horse  and  foot,  between  the  rivers, 
are  to  be  under  your  command,  and  to  form  part  of 
your  detachment.  As  great  complaints  have  been 
made  of  the  disorderly  conduct  of  the  parties  which 
have  been  sent  towards  the  enemy's  lines,  it  is  ex- 
pected that  you  will  be  very  attentive  in  preventing 
abuses  of  the  like  nature,  and  will  inquire  how  far 
complaints  already  made  are  founded  in  justice. 

Given  under  my  hand,  at  head  quarters,  this  18th 
May,  1778. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Valley  Forge  Camp,  June  16,  1778. 

CHANCE  has  furnished  me,  my  dearest  love,  with  a 
very  uncertain  opportunity  of  writing  to  you,  but, 
such  as  it  is,  I  shall  take  advantage  of  it,  for  I 
cannot  resist  the  wish  of  saying  a  few  words  to  you. 
You  must  have  received  many  letters  from  me 
lately,  if  my  writing  unceasingly,  at  least,  may 
justify  this  hope.  Several  vessels  have  sailed,  all 
laden  with  my  letters.  My  expressions  of  heart- 
felt grief  must  even  have  added  to  your  distress. 
What  a  dreadful  thing  is  absence !  I  never  expe- 
rienced before  all  the  horrors  of  separation.  My 
own  deep  sorrow  is  aggravated  by  the  feeling  that  I 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       175 

am  not  able  to  share  and  sympathize  in  your  an- 
guish. The  length  of  time  that  elapsed  before  I 
heard  of  this  event  had  also  increased  my  misery. 
Consider,  my  love,  how  dreadful  it  must  be  to  weep 
for  what  I  have  lost,  and  tremble  for  what  remains. 
The  distance  between  Europe  and  America  appears 
to  me  more  enormous  than  ever.  The  loss  of  our 
poor  child  is  almost  constantly  in  my  thoughts  :  this 
sad  news  followed  immediately  that  of  the  treaty ; 
and  whilst  my  heart  was  torn  by  grief,  I  was  obliged 
to  receive  and  take  part  in  expressions  of  public 
joy.  I  learnt,  at  the  same  time,  the  loss  of  our 
little  Adrien,  for  I  always  considered  that  child  as  my 
own,  and  I  regretted  him  as  I  should  have  done  a  son. 
I  have  written  twice  to  the  viscount  and  viscountess, 
to  express  to  them  my  deep  regret,  and  I  hope  my 
letters  will  reach  them  safely.  I  am  writing  only  to 
you  at  present,  because  I  neither  know  when  the 
vessel  sails,  nor  when  she  will  arrive,  and  I  am  told 
that  a  packet  will  soon  set  out  which  will  probably 
reach  Europe  first. 

I  received  letters  from  M.  de  Cambrai  and 
M.  Carmichael.  The  first  one  will  be  employed, 
I  hope,  in  an  advantageous  and  agreeable  manner ; 
the  second,  whom  I  am  expecting  with  great  impa- 
tience, has  not  yet  arrived  at  the  army :  how  de- 
lighted I  shall  be  to  see  him,  and  talk  to  him  about 
you  ! — he  will  come  to  the  camp  as  soon  as  possible. 
We  are  expecting  every  day  news  from  Europe ; 
they  will  be  deeply  interesting,  especially  to  me, 
who  offer  up  such  earnest  prayers  for  the  success 
and  glory  of  my  country.  The  King  of  Prussia,  it 
is  said,  has  entered  into  Bohemia,  and  has  for- 
gotten to  declare  war.  If  a  conflict  were  to  take 
place  between  France  and  England,  I  should  prefer 
our  being  left  completely  to  ourselves,  and  that  the 


176       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

rest  of  Europe  should  content  herself  with  looking 
on ;  we  should,  in  that  case,  have  a  glorious  war, 
and  our  successes  would  be  of  a  kind  to  please  and 
gratify  the  nation. 

If  the  unfortunate  news  had  reached  me  sooner, 
I  should  have  set  out  immediately  to  rejoin  you  ; 
but  the  account  of  the  treaty,  which  we  received 
the  first  of  May,  prevented  my  leaving  this 
country.  The  opening  campaign  does  not  allow  me 
to  retire.  I  have  always  been  perfectly  convinced 
that  by  serving  the  cause  of  humanity,  and  that  of 
America,  I  serve  also  the  interest  of  France.  An- 
other motive  for  remaining  longer  is,  that  the  com- 
missioners have  arrived,  and  that  I  am  well  pleased 
to  be  within  reach  of  the  negotiations.  To  be  useful 
in  any  way  to  my  country  will  always  be  agreeable 
to  me.  I  do  not  understand  why  a  minister  pleni- 
potentiary, or  something  of  that  kind,  has  not  been 
already  sent  to  America  ;  I  am  most  anxious  to  see 
one,  provided  always  it  may  not  be  myself,  for  I  am 
but  little  disposed  to  quit  the  military  career  to  enter 
into  the  diplomatic  corps. 

There  is  no  news  here  ;  the  only  topic  of  conver- 
sation is  the  news  from  Europe,  and  to  that  many 
idle  tales  are  always  prefixed  :  there  has  been  little 
action  on  either  side  ;  the  only  important  affair  was 
the  one  which  fell  to  my  share  the  20th  of  last 
month,  and  there  was  not  any  blood  shed  even 
there. 

General  Washington  had  entrusted  me  to  conduct 
a  detachment  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  chosen 
men  to  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia.  It  would  be 
too  long  to  explain  to  you  the  cause,  but  it  will  suf- 
fice to  tell  you,  that,  in  spite  of  all  my  precautions, 
I  could  not  prevent  the  hostile  army  from  making 
a  nocturnal  march,  and  I  found  myself  the  next 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       177 

morning  with  part  of  the  army  in  front,  and  seven 
thousand  men  in  my  rear.  These  gentlemen  were  so 
obliging  as  to  take  measures  for  sending  to  New 
York  those  who  should  not  be  killed ;  but  they  were 
so  kind,  also,  as  to  permit  us  to  retire  quietly,  with- 
out doing  us  any  injury.  We  had  about  six  or 
seven  killed  or  wounded,  and  they  twenty-five  or 
thirty,  which  did  not  make  them  amends  for  a 
march,  in  which  one  part  of  the  army  had  been 
obliged  to  make  forty  miles. 

Some  days  afterwards,  our  situation  having 
altered,  I  returned  to  the  camp,  and  no  events  of 
importance  have  occurred  since.  We  are  expect- 
ing the  evacuation  of  Philadelphia,  which  must,  we 
fancy,  soon  take  place.  I  have  been  told  that  on 
the  10th  of  April  they  were  thinking  of  negotiating 
rather  than  of  fighting,  and  that  England  was  be- 
coming each  day  more  humble. 

If  this  letter  ever  reaches  you,  my  dearest  love, 
present  my  respects  to  the  Duke  d'Ayen,  the  Mar- 
shal de  Noailles,  and  Madame  de  Tessd,  to  whom  I 
have  written  by  every  vessel,  although  she  accuses 
me  of  having  neglected  her,  which  my  heart  is  in- 
capable of  doing.  I  have  also  written  to  Madame 
d'Ayen  by  the  two  last  ships,  and  by  several  pre- 
vious ones.  Embrace  a  thousand  times  the  dear 
viscountess,  and  tell  her  how  well  I  love  her.  A 
thousand  tender  regards  to  my  sisters  ;  a  thousand 
affectionate  ones  to  the  viscount,  M.  de  Poix,  to 
Coigny,*  Segur,  his  brother,  Etienne,f  and  all  my 
other  friends.  Embrace,  a  million  of  times,  our 
little  Anastasia  ; — alas  !  she  alone  remains  to  us  !  I 
feel  that  she  has  engrossed  the  affection  that  was 

*  Probably  the  Marquis  de  Coigny. 
t  The  Count  Etienne  de  Durfort,  now  peer  of  France. 
VOL.  I.  N 


178       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

once  divided  between  my  two  children :  take  great 
care  of  her.  Adieu  ;  I  know  not  when  this  may 
reach  you,  and  I  even  doubt  its  ever  reaching  you. 

TO  THE  MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL — INSTRUCTIONS.) 

SIR, — You  are  immediately  to  proceed  with  the 
detachment  commanded  by  General  Poor,  and  form 
a  junction,  as  expeditiously  as  possible,  with  that 
under  the  command  of  General  Scott.  You  are  to 
use  the  most  effectual  means  for  gaining  the  enemy's 
left  flank  and  rear,  and  giving  them  every  degree  of 
annoyance.  All  continental  parties  that  are  already 
on  the  lines,  will  be  under  yourcommand,  and  you 
will  take  such  measures,  in  concert  with  General 
Dickinson,  as  will  cause  the  enemy  the  greatest  im- 
pediment and  loss  in  their  march.  For  these  pur- 
poses you  will  attack  them,  as  occasion  may  require, 
by  detachment,  and  if  a  proper  opening  could  be 
given,  by  operating  against  them  with  the  whole 
force  of  your  command.  You  will  naturally  take 
such  precautions  as  will  secure  you  against  surprise, 
and  maintain  your  communications  with  this  army. 
Given  at  Kingston,  this  25th  day  of  June,  1778. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Ice  Town,  26th  June,  1778,  at  a  quarter  after  seven. 
DEAR  GENERAL, — I  hope  you  have  received  my 
letter  from  Cranberry,  where  I  acquaint  you  that  I 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       179 

am  going  to  Ice  Town,  though  we  are  short  of  pro- 
visions. When  I  got  there,  I  was  sorry  to  hear 
that  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  had  been  riding  all  the 
night,  had  not  been  able  to  find  anybody  who  could 
give  him  certain  intelligence  ;  but  by  a  party  who 
came  back,  I  hear  the  enemy  are  in  motion,  and 
their  rear  about  one  mile  off  the  place  they 
had  occupied  last  night,  which  is  seven  or  eight 
miles  from  here.  I  immediately  put  Generals 
Maxwell  and  Wayne's  brigades  in  motion,  and  I 
will  fall  lower  down,  with  General  Scott's,  with 
Jackson's  regiment,  and  some  militia.  I  should  be 
very  happy  if  we  could  attack  them  before  they 
halt,  for  I  have  no  notion  of  taking  one  other  mo- 
ment but  this  of  the  march.  If  I  cannot  overtake 
them,  we  could  lay  at  some  distance,  and  attack  to- 
morrow morning,  provided  they  don't  escape  in  the 
night,  which  I  much  fear,  as  our  intelligences  are 
not  the  best  ones.  I  have  sent  some  parties  out, 
and  I  will  get  some  more  light  by  them. 

I  fancy  your  excellency  will  move  down  with  the 
army,  and  if  we  are  at  a  convenient  distance  from 
you,  I  have  nothing  to  fear  in  striking  a  blow  if 
opportunity  is  offered.  I  believe  that,  in  our  pre- 
sent strength,  provided  they  do  not  escape,  we  may  do 
something. 

General  Forman  says  that,  on  account  of  the 
nature  of  the  country,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  be 
turned  by  the  right  or  left,  but  that  I  shall  not  quite 
depend  upon. 

An  officer  just  from  the  lines  confirms  the 
account  of  the  enemy  moving.  An  intelligence 
from  General  Dickinson  says  that  they  hear  a  very 
heavy  fire  in  the  front  of  the  enemy's  column.  I 
apprehend  it  is  Morgan,  who  had  not  received  my 

N  2 


180       CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

letter,  but  it  will  have  the  good  effect  of  stopping 
them,  and  if  we  attack,  he  may  hegin  again. 

Sir,  I  want  to  repeat  you  in  writing  what  I  have 
told  to  you,  which  is,  that  if  you  believe  it,  or  if  it 
is  believed  necessary  or  useful  to  the  good  of  the 
service  and  the  honour  of  General  Lee,  to  send 
him  down  with  a  couple  of  thousand  men,  or  any 
greater  force ;  I  will  cheerfully  obey  and  serve  him, 
not  only  out  of  duty,  but  out  of  what  I  owe  to  that 
gentleman's  character. 

I  hope  to  receive,  soon,  your  orders  as  to  what  I 
am  to  do  this  day  or  to-morrow,  to  know  where 
you  are  and  what  you  intend,  and  would  be  very 
happy  to  furnish  you  with  the  opportunity  of  com- 
pleting some  little  advantage  of  ours. 

LAFAYETTE. 

The  road  I  understand  the  enemy  are  moving  by, 
is  the  straight  road  to  Monmouth. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Cranberry,  26th  June,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — General  Lee's  uneasiness,  on 
account  of  yesterday's  transaction,  rather  increasing 
than  abating,  and  your  politeness  in  wishing  to  ease 
him  of  it,  have  induced  me  to  detach  him  from  this 
army  with  a  part  of  it,  to  reinforce,  or  at  least  cover, 
the  several  detachments  at  present  under  your  com- 
mand. At  the  same  time,  that  I  felt  for  General 
Lee's  dis'  ress  of  mind,  I  have  had  an  eye  to  your 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1773.       181 

wishes  and  the  delicacy  of  your  situation ;  and  have, 
therefore,  obtained  a  promise  from  him,  that  when 
he  gives  you  notice  of  his  approach  and  command, 
he  will  request  you  to  prosecute  any  plan  you  may 
have  already  concerted  for  the  purpose  of  attacking, 
or  otherwise  annoying  the  enemy  ;  this  is  the  only 
expedient  I  could  think  of  to  answer  the  views  of 
both.  General  Lee  seems  satisfied  with  the  mea- 
sure, and  I  wish  it  may  prove  agreeable  to  you,  as 
I  am,  with  the  warmest  wishes  for  your  honour  and 
glory,  and  with  the  sincerest  esteem  and  affection, 
yours,  &c.* 


FROM   GENERAL   WASHINGTON  TO   THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE.f 

(ORIGINAL.) 

White  Plains,  22nd  July,  1778. 

SIR, — You  are  to  have  the  immediate  command  of 
that  detachment  from  this  army,  which  consists  of 
Glover's  and  Varnum's  brigades,  and  the  detach- 
ment under  the  command  of  Colonel  Henry  Jackson. 
You  are  to  march  them,  with  all  convenient  expedi- 
tion, and  by  the  best  routes,  to  Providence,  in  the 
state  of  Rhode  Island.  When  there,  you  are  to 
subject  yourself  to  the  orders  of  Major- General  Sul- 


*  The  combination  offered  by  M.  de  Lafayette,  and  desired 
by  General  Washington,  did  not  prove  successful.  In  spite  of 
the  happy  issue  of  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  the  results  were 
not  such  as  might  have  been  expected,  on  account  of  the  con- 
duct of  General  Lee,  who  was  summoned  before  a  court  martial, 
and  condemned  to  be  suspended  for  one  year.  (See  on  'Ihis 
subject  the  Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  Washington,  by  Marshall,  ttid 
the  Appendix  No.  8,  of  the  5th  vol.  of  theLetters  of  Washing*  ;n.) 

f   Order  for  the  expedition  of  Rhode  Island. 


182       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

livan,  who  will  have  the  command  of  the  expedition 
against  Newport,  and  the  British  and  other  troops 
in  their  pay,  on  that  and  the  Islands  adjacent. 

If,  on  your  march,  you  should  receive  certain  intel- 
ligence of  the  evacuation  of  Rhode  Island,  by  the 
enemy,  you  are  immediately  to  counter -march  for 
this  place,  giving  me  the  earliest  advice  thereof. 
Having  the  most  perfect  reliance  on  your  activity 
and  zeal,  and  wishing  you  all  the  success,  honour, 
and  glory,  that  your  heart  can  wish,  I  am,  with  the 
most  perfect  regard,  yours,  &c. 


FROM    GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO   THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Head  Quarters,  White  Plains,  27th  July,  1778. 
DEAR  MARQUIS, — This  will  be  delivered  to  you  hy 
Major-General  Greene,  whose  thorough  knowledge 
of  Rhode  Island,  of  which  he  is  a  native,  and  the 
influence  he  will  have  with  the  people,  put  it  in  his 
power  to  be  particularly  useful  in  the  expedition 
against  that  place,  as  well  in  providing  necessaries 
for  carrying  it  on,  as  in  assisting  to  form  and  execute 
a  plan  of  operations  proper  for  the  occasion.  The 
honour  and  interest  of  the  common  cause  are  so 
deeply  concerned  in  the  success  of  this  enterprise, 
that  it  appears  to  me  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
omit  no  step  which  may  conduce  to  it ;  and  General 
Greene,  on  several  accounts,  will  be  able  to  render 
very  essential  service. 

These  considerations  have  determined  me  to  send 
him  on  the  expedition,  in  which,  as  he  could  not 
with  propriety  act,  nor  be  equally  useful  merely  in 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       183 

his  official  capacity  as  quartermaster-general,  I  have 
concluded  to  give  him  a  command  in  the  troops  to 
be  employed  in  the  descent.  I  have,  therefore,  di- 
rected General  Sullivan  to  throw  all  the  American 
troops,  both  continental,  state,  and  militia,  into  two 
divisions,  making  an  equal  distribution  of  each,  to 
be  under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Greene 
and  yourself.  The  continental  troops  being  divided 
in  this  manner,  with  the  militia,  will  serve  to  give 
them  confidence,  and  probably  make  them  act  better 
than  they  would  alone.  Though  this  arrangement 
will  diminish  the  number  of  continental  troops  under 
you,  yet  this  diminution  will  be  more  than  compen- 
sated by  the  addition  of  militia ;  and  I  persuade 
myself  your  command  will  not  be  less  agreeable,  or 
less  honourable,  from  this  change  in  the  disposition. 
I  am,  with  great  esteem  and  affection,  dear  marquis, 
your  most  obedient  servant. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Providence,  6th  August,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  received  your  excellency's 
favour  by  General  Greene,  and  have  been  much 
pleased  with  the  arrival  of  a  gentleman  who,  not 
only  on  account  of  his  merit,  and  the  justness  of 
his  views,  but  also  by  his  knowledge  of  the  country, 
and  his  popularity  in  this  state,  may  be  very  service- 
able to  the  expedition.  I  willingly  part  with  the 
half  of  my  detachment,  though  I  had  a  great  de- 
pendence upon  them,  as  you  find  it  convenient  to 
the  good  of  the  service.  Any  thing,  my  dear 
General,  you  will  order,  or  even  wish,  shall  always 


184       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

be  infinitely  agreeable  to  me,  and  I  will  always  feel 
happy  in  doing  any  thing  which  may  please  you,  or 
forward  the  public  good.  I  am  of  the  same  opinion 
as  your  excellency,  that  dividing  our  continental 
troops  among  the  militia,  will  have  a  better  effect 
than  if  we  were  to  keep  them  together  in  one  wing. 

You  will  receive,  by  General  Sullivan,  an  account 
of  his  dispositions,  preparations,  &c.  ;  I,  therefore, 
have  nothing  to  add,  but  that  I  have  been  on  board 
of  the  Admiral*  the  day  before  yesterday.  I  saw 
among  the  fleet  an  ardour  and  a  desire  of  doing 
something,  which  would  soon  turn  into  impatience, 
if  we  don't  give  them  a  speedy  occasion  of  fighting. 
The  officers  cannot  contain  their  soldiers  and  sailors, 
who  are  complaining  that  they  have  been  these  four 
months  running  after  the  British,  without  getting  at 
them  ;  but  I  hope  they  will  be  soon  satisfied. 

The  Count  d'Estaing  was  very  glad  of  my  arrival, 
as  he  could  open  freely  his  mind  to  me.  He  ex- 
pressed the  greatest  anxiety  on  account  of  his  wants 
of  every  kind,  provisions,  water,  &c.  ;  he  hopes  the 
taking  of  Rhode  Island  will  enable  him  to  get  some 
of  the  two  abovementioned  articles.  The  admiral 
wants  me  to  join  the  French  troops  to  these  I  com- 
mand, as  soon  as  possible.  I  confess  I  feel  very 
happy  to  think  of  my  co-operating  with  them,  and, 
had  I  contrived  in  my  mind  an  agreeable  dream,  I 
could  not  have  wished  a  more  pleasing  event  than 
my  joining  my  countrymen  with  my  brothers  of 
America,  under  my  command,  and  the  same 


*  Admiral  d'Estaing.  It  was  the  8th  July  that  the  French 
fleet  appeared  at  the  entrance  of  the  Delaware.  It  was  at  this 
period  stationed  before  Newport,  below  the  passage,  betwixt 
Rhode  Island  and  Long  Island. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       185 

standards.  When  I  left  Europe,  I  was  very  far 
from  hoping  such  an  agreeable  turn  of  our  business 
in  the  American  glorious  revolution. 

Though  I  have  no  account,  neither  observations, 
to  give  to  your  excellency,  as  I  am  here  a  man  of 
war  of  the  third  rate,  I  will,  after  the  expedition, 
scribble  some  lines  to  you,  and  join  to  the  account 
of  General  Sullivan,  the  assurance  that  I  have  all 
my  limbs,  and  that  I  am,  with  the  most  tender  affec- 
tion, and  entire  confidence,  yours,  with  high  respect. 


FROM   GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO   THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
White  Plains,  10th  August,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — Your  favour  of  the6th  instant, 
which  came  to  my  hands  yesterday,  afforded  a  fresh 
proof  of  the  noble  principles  on  which  you  act,  and 
has  a  just  claim  to  my  sincere  and  hearty  thanks. 
The  common  cause,  of  which  you  have  been  a  zealous 
supporter,  would,  I  knew,  be  benefitted  by  General 
Greene's  presence  at  Rhode  Island,  as  he  is  a  native 
of  that  state,  has  an  interest  with  the  people,  and  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  country,  and,  therefore, 
I  accepted  his  proffered  services  ;  but  I  was  a  little 
uneasy,  lest  you  should  conceive  that  it  was  intended 
to  lessen  your  command.  General  Greene  did  not 
incline  to  act  in  a  detached  part  of  the  army,  merely 
as  quartermaster-general ;  nor  was  it  to  be  expected^. 
It  became  necessary,  therefore,  to  give  him  a  de- 
tached command,  and  consequently  to  divide  the 
continental  troops.  Your  cheerful  acquiescence  in 
the  measure,  after  being  appointed  to  the  command 


186       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

of  the  brigades  which  marched  from  this  army, 
obviated  every  difficulty,  and  gave  me  singular 
pleasure. 

I  am  very  happy  to  find  that  the  standards  of 
France  and  America  are  likely  to  be  united  under 
your  command,  at  Rhode  Island.  I  am  persuaded, 
that  the  supporters  of  each  will  be  emulous  to  acquire 
honour,  and  promote  your  glory  upon  this  occasion. 
The  courier  to  Count  d'Estaing  is  waiting.  I  have 
only  time,  therefore,  to  assure  you,  that,  with  most 
perfect  esteem,  and  exalted  regard,  I  have  the  honour 
to  be,  my  dear  marquis,  your  obedient  and  affec- 
tionate servant. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  before  Newport,  25th  August,  1778. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  had  expected  in  answer- 
ing your    first    letter   that   something  interesting 
would  have  happened  that  I  might  communicate  to 
your  excellency.     Every  day  was  going  to  termi- 

*  The  circumstances  which  gave  rise  to  this  letter  are  men- 
tioned in  the  memoirs.  The  following  details  will  still  further 
explain  them : — 

When  the  storm  had  dispersed  his  fleet,  M.  de  Estaing  wrote 
a  very  remarkable  letter  to  General  Sullivan,  in  which  he  ex- 
plained to  him  the  impossibility  of  remaining  in  sight  of  Rhode 
Island  without  danger,  and  without  disobeying  the  precise  orders 
of  the  king.  He  expressed  his  regret  that  the  landing  of  the 
Americans  in  the  island,  which  had  been  effected  one  day 
before  the  day  agreed  upon,  should  not  have  been  protected  by 
the  vessels ;  and  he  rejected  strongly  the  imputation  of  having 
blamed  him  under  these  circumstances  for  having  operated  so 
early,  and  with  only  two  thousand  men.  To  his  great  regret, 
his  situation  obliged  him  to  answer  the  proposal  of  a  combined 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       187 

nate  our  uncertainties  ;  nay,  every  day  was  going 
to  bring  the  hope  of  a  success  which  I  did  promise 
myself  to  acquaint  you  of.  Such  was  the  reason  of 
my  deferring  what  my  duty  and  inclination  did  urge 
me  to  do  much  sooner.  I  am  now  indebted  for  two 
favours  of  yours,  which  I  beg  leave  to  offer  here  my 
thanks  for.  The  first  letter  reached  me  in  the  time 
we  expected  to  hear  again  from  the  French  fleet ; 
the  second  I  have  just  received.  My  reason  for 
not  writing  the  same  day  the  French  fleet  went  to 
Boston  was,  that  I  did  not  choose  to  trouble  your 
friendship  with  the  sentiments  of  an  afflicted,  in- 
jured heart,  and  injured  by  that  very  people  I  came 
from  so  far  to  love  and  support.  Don't  be  sur- 
prised, my  dear  general ;  the  generosity  of  your  ho- 
nest mind  would  be  offended  at  the  shocking  sight 
I  have  under  my  eyes. 

So  far  am  I  from  a  critical  disposition  that  I  will 
not  give  you  the  journal  of  our  operations,  neither 
of  several  instances  during  our  staying  here,  which, 
however,  might  occupy  some  room  in  this  letter.  I 


attack,  by  a  refusal.  This  answer  excited  much  dissatisfaction 
amongst  the  Americans.  Their  officers  signed  a  protestation, 
which  appears  to  have  been  considered  by  some  of  them  as  the 
means  of  seconding  the  secret  inclination  of  the  admiral  by 
forcing  him  to  fight.  The  report  was  spread,  in  truth,  that  a 
cabal  in  the  naval  force  alone  obliged  him  to  make  a  retreat, 
from  a  feeling  of  jealousy  of  the  glory  which  he  might  have  ac- 
quired, as  he  had  belonged  formerly  to  the  land  forces.  This 
protestation  was  carried  to  him  by  Colonel  Laurens;  after  a 
recapitulation  of  all  the  arguments  which  might  be  used  against 
the  departure  of  the  fleet,  it  terminated  by  the  solemn  declar- 
tion  that  that  measure  was  derogatory  to  the  honour  of  France, 
contrary  to  the  intentions  of  his  V.  C.  Majesty,  and  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  American  nation,  &c.  When  this  protestation 
was  submitted  to  congress,  they  immediately  ordered  that  it 


188      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

will  not  even  say  to  you,  how  contracted  was  the 
French  fleet  when  they  wanted  to  come  in  at  their 
arrival;  which,  according  to  the  report  of  the 
advertors,  would  have  had  the  greatest  effect.  How 
surprised  was  the  admiral,  when,  after  a  formal  and 
agreed  convention,  one  hour  after  the  American 
general  had  given  a  new  written  assurance,  our 
troops  made  the  landing  a  day  before  it  was  ex- 
pected. How  mortified  the  French  officers  were  to 
find  out  that  there  was  not  a  gun  left  in  these  very 
forts  to  whose  protection  they  were  recommended. 
All  these  things,  and  many  others,  I  would  not  take 
notice  of,  if  they  were  not  at  this  moment  the  sup- 
posed ground  upon  which,  it  is  said,  that  the  Count 
d'Estaing  is  gone  on  to  Boston.  Believe  me,  my 
dear  sir,  upon  my  honour,  the  admirals,  though  a 
little  astonished  by  some  instances  of  conduct  on 
our  part,  did  consider  them  in  the  same  light  as  you 


should  be  kept  secret,  and  that  M.  Gerard  should  be  informed 
of  this  order,  which  General  Washington  was  charged  with  exe- 
cuting by  every  means  in  his  power. 

General  Sullivan  issued  the  following  order  at  the  same 
time: —  " 

"it  having  been  supposed,  by  some  persons,  that  by  the 
orders  of  the  21st  instant,  the  commander-in-chief  meant  to  in- 
sinuate that  the  departure  of  the  French  fleet  was  owing  to  a 
fixed  determination  not  to  assist  in  the  present  enterprise,  and 
that,  as  the  general  did  not  wish  to  give  the  least  colour  to 
ungenerous  and  illiberal  minds  to  make  such  an  unfair  inter- 
pretation, he  thinks  it  necessary  to  say,  that  as  he  could  not 
possibly  be  acquainted  with  the  orders  of  the  French  admiral, 
he  could  not  determine  whether  the  removal  of  the  fleet  was 
absolutely  necessary  or  not;  and,  therefore,  did  not  mean  to 
censure  an  act  which  those  orders  might  render  absolutely 
necessary."  These  details,  borrowed  from  the  edition  of  the 
writings  of  Washington,  will  explain  some  passages  of  this  letter, 
and  the  sense  of  the  following  letters. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      189 

and  myself  would  have  done,  and  if  he  is  gone  off, 
it  is  because  he  thought  himself  obliged  by  neces- 
sity. 

Let  us  consider,  my  dear  general,  the  motions  of 
that  fleet  since  it  was  proposed  by  the  Count 
d'Estaing  himself,  and  granted  by  the  king  in  be- 
half of  the  United  States.  I  will  not  go  so  far  up 
as  to  remember  other  instances  of  the  affection  the 
French  nation  have  for  the  Americans.  The  news 
of  that  fleet  have  occasioned  the  evacuation  of  Phil- 
adelphia. Its  arrival  has  opened  all  the  harbours, 
secured  all  the  coasts,  obliged  the  British  navy  to  be 
together.  Six  of  those  frigates,  two  of  them  I  have 
seen,  sufficient  for  terrifying  all  the  trading  people 
of  the  two  Carolinas,  are  taken  or  burnt.  The 
Count  d'Estaing  went  to  offer  battle,  and  act  as  a 
check  to  the  British  navy  for  a  long  time.  At  New 
York,  it  was  agreed  he  should  go  to  Rhode  Island, 
and  there  he  went.  They  prevented  him  from 
going  in  at  first ;  afterwards,  he  was  desired  to 
come  in,  and  so  he  did.  The  same  day  we  landed 
without  his  knowledge ;  an  English  fleet  appears  in 
sight.  His  being  divided  into  three  parts  by  our 
directions,  for,  though  he  is  a  lieutenant-general, 
he  never  availed  himself  of  that  title,  made  him 
uneasy  about  his  situation.  But  finding  the  next 
morning  that  the  wind  was  northerly,  being  also 
convinced  that  it  was  his  duty  to  prevent  any  re- 
inforcement at  Newport,  he  goes  out  under  the 
hottest  fire  of  the  British  land  batteries,  he  puts  the 
British  navy  to  flight,  and  pursues  them,  and  they 
were  ah1  in  his  hands  when  that  horrid  storm  arrives 
to  ruin  all  our  hopes.  Both  fleets  are  divided,  scat- 
tered ;  the  Csesar,  a  74  gun  ship,  is  lost ;  the  Mar- 
seillais,  of  the  same  size,  loses  her  masts,  and  after 


190      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

that  accident  is  obliged  to  send  back  an  enemy's 
ship  of  64  ;  the  Languedoc  having  lost  her  masts, 
unable  to  be  governed  and  make  any  motions,  sepa- 
rated from  the  others,  is  attacked  by  a  ship  of  the 
line  against  which  she  could  only  bring  six  guns. 

When  the  storm  was  over,  they  met  again  in  a 
shattered  condition,  and  the  Csesar  was  not  to  be 
found.  All  the  captains  represented  to  their  gene- 
ral that,  after  a  so  long  navigation,  in  such  a  want 
of  victuals,  water,  &c.,  which  they  had  not  been  yet 
supplied  with,  after  the  intelligence  given  by 
General  Sullivan  that  there  was  a  British  fleet 
coming,  they  should  go  to  Boston ;  but  the  Count 
d'Estaing  had  promised  to  come  here  again,  and  so 
he  did  at  all  events.  The  news  of  his  arrival  and 
situation  came  by  the  Senegal,  a  frigate  taken  from 
the  enemy.  General  Greene  and  myself  went  on 
board.  The  count  expressed  to  me  not  so  much  as 
to  the  envoy  from  General  Sullivan,  than  as  to  his 
friend,  the  unhappy  circumstances  he  was  in. 
Bound  by  express  orders  from  the  King  to  go  to 
Boston  in  case  of  an  accident  or  a  superior  fleet, 
engaged  by  the  common  sentiment  of  all  the  officers, 
even  of  some  American  pilots,  that  he  would  ruin  all 
his  squadron  in  deferring  his  going  to  Boston,  he 
called  a  new  council  of  war,  and  finding  every  body 
of  the  same  opinion,  he  did  not  think  himself  justi- 
fiable in  staying  here  any  longer,  and  took  leave 
of  me  with  true  affliction  not  being  able  to  assist 
America  for  some  days,  which  has  been  rewarded 
with  the  most  horrid  ungratefulness  ;  but  no  matter. 
I  am  only  speaking  of  facts.  The  count  said  to  me 
these  last  words  :  after  many  months  of  sufferings, 
my  men  will  rest  some  days  ;  I  will  man  my  ships, 
and,  if  I  am  assisted  in  getting  masts,  &c.,  three 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       191 

weeks  after  my  arrival  I  shall  go  out  again,  and  then 
we  shall  fight  for  the  glory  of  the  French  name,  and 
the  interests  of  America. 

The  day  the  count  went  off,  the  general  American 
officers  drew  a  protestation,  which,  as  I  had  been 
very  strangely  called  there,  I  refused  to  sign,  hut  I 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  admiral.  The  protestation  and 
the  letter  did  not  arrive  in  time. 

Now,  my  dear  general,  I  am  going  to  hurt  your 
generous  feelings  by  an  imperfect  picture  of  what 
1  am  forced  to  see.  Forgive  me  for  it ;  it  is  not 
to  the  commander-in-chief,  it  is  to  my  most  dearest 
friend,  General  Washington,  that  I  am  speaking. 
I  want  to  lament  with  him  the  ungenerous  senti- 
ments I  have  been  forced  to  see  in  many  American 
breasts. 

Could  you  believe,  that  forgetting  any  national 
obligation,  forgetting  what  they  were  owing  to  that 
same  fleet,  what  they  were  yet  to  expect  from  them, 
and  instead  of  resenting  their  accidents  as  these, 
of  allies  and  brothers,  the  people  turned  mad  at 
their  departure,  and  wishing  them  all  the  evils  in 
the  world,  did  treat  them  as  a  generous  one  would 
be  ashamed  to  treat  the  most  inveterate  enemies. 
You  cannot  have  any  idea  of  the  horrors  which 
were  to  be  heard  in  that  occasion.  Many  leaders 
themselves  finding  they  were  disappointed,  aband- 
oned their  minds  to  illiberality  and  ungratefulness. 
Frenchmen  of  the  highest  character  have  been  ex- 
posed to  the  most  disagreeable  circumstances,  and 
yet,  myself,  the  friend  of  America — the  friend 
of  General  Washington.  I  am  more  upon  a  warlike 
footing  in  the  American  lines,  than  when  I  come 
near  the  British  lines  at  Newport. 

Such  is,  my  dear  general,  the  true  state  of 
matters.  I  am  sure  it  will  infinitely  displease  and 


192      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

hurt  your  feelings.  I  am  also  sure  you  will  approve 
the  part  I  have  taken  in  it,  which  was  to  stay  much 
at  home  with  all  the  French  gentlemen  who  are  here, 
and  declare,  at  the  same  time,  that  anything  thrown 
before  me  against  my  nation  I  would  take  as  the 
most  particular  affront. 

Inclosed  I  send  you  the  general  orders  of  the  24th, 
upon  which  I  thought  I  was  obliged  to  pay  a  visit 
to  General  Sullivan,  who  has  agreed  to  alter  them 
in  the  following  manner.  Remember,  my  dear 
general,  that  I  don't  speak  to  the  commander-in- 
chief,  but  to  my  friend,  that  I  am  far  from  com- 
plaining of  anybody.  I  have  no  complaints  at  all 
to  make  you  against  any  one ;  but  I  lament  with 
you  that  I  have  had  an  occasion  of  seeing  so  un- 
generous sentiments  in  American  hearts. 

I  will  tell  you  the  true  reason.  The  leaders  of 
the  expedition  are,  most  of  them,  ashamed  to  return 
after  having  spoken  of  their  Rhode  Island  success 
in  proud  terms  before  their  family,  their  friends, 
their  internal  enemies.  The  others,  regardless  of 
the  expense  France  has  been  put  to  by  that  fleet, 
of  the  tedious,  tiresome  voyage,  which  so  many  men 
have  had  for  their  service,  though  they  are  angry 
that  the  fleet  takes  three  weeks,  upon  the  whole  cam- 
paign, to  refit  themselves,  they  cannot  bear  the  idea 
of  being  brought  to  a  small  expense,  to  the  loss  of 
a  little  time,  to  the  fatigue  of  staying  some  few  days 
more  in  a  camp  at  some  few  miles  off  their  houses  ; 
for  I  am  very  far  from  looking  upon  the  expedition 
as  having  miscarried,  and  there  I  see  even  a  certainty 
of  success. 

If,  as  soon  as  the  fleet  is  repaired,  which  (in 
case  they  are  treated  as  one  is  in  a  country  one  is 
not  at  war  with,)  would  be  done  in  three  weeks  from 
this  time,  the  Count  d'Estaing  was  to  come  around, 


CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778.  193 

the  expedition  seems  to  offer  a  very  good  prospect 
If  the  enemy  evacuates  New  York,  we  have  the 
whole  continental  army,  if  not,  we  might  perhaps 
have  some  more  men,  what  number,  however,  I 
cannot  pretend  to  judge.  All  that  I  know  is,  that 
I  shall  be  very  happy  to  see  the  fleet  co-operating 
with  General  Washington  himself. 

I  think  I  shall  be  forced,  by  the  board  of  general 
officers,  to  go  soon  to  Boston.  That  I  will  do  as 
soon  as  required,  though  with  reluctance,  for  I  do  not 
believe  that  our  position  on  this  part  of  the  island  is 
without  danger ;  but  my  principle  is  to  do  everything 
which  is  thought  good  for  the  service.  I  have  very 
often  rode  express  to  the  fleet,  to  the  frigates,  and 
that,  I  assure  you,  with  the  greatest  pleasure ;  on 
the  other  hand,  I  may  perhaps  be  useful  to  the  fleet. 
Perhaps,  too,  it  will  be  in  the  power  of  the  count  to 
do  something  which  might  satisfy  them.  I  wish, 
my  dear  general,  you  could  know  as  well  as  myself, 
how  desirous  the  Count  d'Estaing  is  to  forward  the 
public  good,  to  help  your  success,  and  to  serve  the 
cause  of  America. 

I  earnestly  beg  you  will  recommend  to  the  seve- 
ral chief  persons  of  Boston  to  do  everything  they 
can  to  put  the  French  fleet  in  a  situation  for  sailing 
soon.  Give  me  leave  to  add,  that  I  wish  many 
people,  by  the  declaration  of  your  sentiments  in  that 
affair,  could  learn  how  to  regulate  theirs,  and  blush 
at  the  sight  of  your  generosity. 

You  will  find  my  letter  immense.  I  began  it  one 
day  and  finished  it  the  next,  as  my  time  was  swal- 
lowed up  by  those  eternal  councils  of  war.  I  shall 
have  the  pleasure  of  writing  you  from  Boston.  I 
am  afraid  the  Count  d'Estaing  will  have  felt  to  the 
quick  the  behaviour  of  the  people  on  this  occasion. 
You  cannot  conceive  how  distressed  he  was  to  be 

VOL.  i.  o 


194    CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

prevented  from  serving  this  country  for  some  time. 
[  do  assure  you  his  circumstances  were  very  critical 
and  distressing. 

For  my  part,  my  sentiments  are  known  to  the 
world.  My  tender  affection  for  General  Washington 
is  added  to  them;  therefore  I  want  no  apologies 
for  writing  upon  what  has  afflicted  me  both  as  an 
American  and  as  a  Frenchman. 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  care  you  are 
so  kind  as  to  take  of  that  poor  horse  of  mine ;  had 
he  not  found  such  a  good  stable  as  this  at  head- 
quarters, he  would  have  cut  a  pitiful  figure  at  the 
end  of  his  travels,  and  I  should  have  been  too 
happy  if  there  had  remained  so  much  of  the  horse 
as  the  bones,  the  skin,  and  the  four  shoes. 

Farewell,  my  dear  general ;  whenever  I  quit  you, 
I  meet  with  some  disappointment  and  misfortune. 
I  did  not  need  it  to  desire  seeing  you  as  much  as 
possible.  With  the  most  tender  affection  and  high 
regard,  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  must  add  to  my  letter,  that  I 
have  received  one  from  General  Greene,  very  dif- 
ferent, from  the  expressions  I  have  to  complain  of, 
he  seems  there  very  sensible  of  what  I  feel.  1  am 
very  happy  when  placed  in  a  situation  to  do  justice 
to  any  one. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,   1778.  195 


FROM    GENERAL    WASHINGTON    TO    THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

White  Plains,  September  1778. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — I  have  been  honoured  with 
your  favour  of  the  25th  ultimo  by  Monsieur  Pont- 
gibaud,  and  I  wish  my  time,  which  at  present  is 
taken  up  by  a  committee  at  congress,  would  permit 
me  to  go  fully  into  the  contents  of  it ;  this,  however, 
it  is  not  in  my  power  to  do  ;  but  in  one  word  let 
me  say,  I  feel  everything  that  hurts  the  sensibility 
of  a  gentleman,  and  consequently,  upon  the  present 
occasion,  I  feel  for  you  and  for  our  good  and  great 
allies  the  French.  I  feel  myself  hurt,  also,  at  every 
illiberal  and  unthinking  reflection  which  may  have 
been  cast  upon  the  Count  d'Estaing,  or  the  conduct 
of  the  fleet  under  his  command  ;  and,  lastly,  I  feel 
for  my  country.  Let  me  entreat  you,  therefore,  my 
dear  marquis,  to  take  no  exception  at  unmeaning 
expressions,  uttered,  perhaps,  without  consideration, 
and  in  the  first  transport  of  disappointed  hope. 
Every  body,  sir,  who  reasons,  will  acknowledge  the 
advantages  which  we  have  derived  from  the  French 
fleet,  and  the  zeal  of  the  commander  of  it ;  but,  in  a 
free  and  republican  government,  you  cannot  restrain 
the  voice  of  the  multitude  ;  every  man  will  speak  as 
he  thinks,  or,  more  properly,  without  thinking,  and 
consequently  will  judge  at  effects  without  attending 
to  the  causes.  The  censures  which  have  been 
levelled  at  the  officers  of  the  French  fleet  would, 
more  than  probably,  have  fallen  in  a  much  higher 
degree  upon  a  fleet  of  our  own  if  we  had  one  in  the 
same  situation.  It  is  the  nature  of  man  to  be  dis- 
pleased with  everything  that  disappoints  a  favourite 

o2 


196          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

hope  or  flattering  project ;  and  it  is  the  folly  of  too 
many  of  them  to  condemn  without  investigating 
circumstances. 

Let  me  beseech  you,  therefore,  my  good  sir,  to 
afford  a  healing  hand  to  the  wound  that,  uninten- 
tionally, has  been  made.  America  esteems  your 
virtues  and  your  services,  and  admires  the  principles 
upon  which  you  act ;  your  countrymen,  in  our  army, 
look  up  to  you  as  their  patron  ;  the  count  and  his 
officers  consider  you  as  a  man  high  in  rank,  and 
high  in  estimation  here  and  also  in,  France  ;  and  I, 
your  friend,  have  no  doubt  but  you  will  use  your 
utmost  endeavours  to  restore  harmony,  that  the 
honour,  the  glory,  and  mutual  interest  of  the  two 
nations  maybe  promoted  and  cemented  in  the  firmest 
manner.  I  would  say  more  on  the  subject,  but  am 
restrained  for  the  want  of  time,  and  therefore  shall 
only  add,  that  with  every  sentiment  of  esteem  and 
regard,  I  am,  my  dear  marquis,  &c. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  MAJOR- 
GENERAL  SULLIVAN. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Head  Quarters,  White  Plains,  1st  September,  1778. 

DEAR  SIR, — The  disagreement  between  the  army 
under  your  command  and  the  fleet,  has  given  me 
very  singular  uneasiness  :  the  continent  at  large  is 
concerned  in  our  cordiality,  and  it  should  be  kept 
up,  by  all  possible  means,  consistent  with  our  honour 
and  policy.  First  impressions,  you  know,  are  gene- 
rally longest  remembered,  and  will  serve  to  fix,  in  a 
great  degree,  our  national  character  among  the 
French.  In  our  conduct  towards  them  we  should 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      197 

remember  that  they  are  people  old  in  war,  very  strict 
in  military  etiquette,  and  apt  to  take  fire,  where 
others  scarcely  seem  warmed.  Permit  me  to  re- 
commend, in  the  most  particular  manner,  the  culti- 
vation of  harmony  and  good  agreement,  and  your 
endeavours  to  destroy  that  ill-humour  which  may 
have  got  into  the  officers.  It  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, also,  that  the  soldiers  and  the  people 
should  know  nothing  of  the  misunderstanding,  or, 
if  it  has  reached  them,  that  ways  may  be  used  to 
stop  its  progress  and  prevent  its  effects. 

I  have  received  from  congress  the  enclosed,  by 
which  you  will  perceive  their  opinion  with  regard  to 
keeping  secret  the  protest  of  the  general  officers  :  I 
need  add  nothing  on  this  head.  I  have  one  thing, 
however,  more  to  say :  I  make  no  doubt  but  you 
will  do  all  in  your  power  to  forward  the  repair  of  the 
count's  fleet,  and  render  it  fit  for  service,  by  your 
recommendations  for  that  purpose  to  those  who  can 
be  immediately  instrumental. 

I  am,  dear  Sir,  &c. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  MAJOR- 
GENERAL  GREENE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Head-quarters,  White  Plains,  1st  September,  1778. 
DEAR  SIR, — I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving 
your  several  letters,  the  last  of  which  was  of  the 
22nd  of  August.  I  have  not  now  time  to  take  no- 
tice of  the  arguments  that  were  made  use  of  for  and 
against  the  count's  quitting  the  harbour  of  Newport 
and  sailing  for  Boston  :  right  or  wrong,  it  will  pro- 


198          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

bably  disappoint  our  sanguine  expectations  of  suc- 
cess ;  and,  what  I  esteem  a  still  worse  consequence, 
I  fear  it  will  sow  the  seeds  of  dissension  and  dis- 
trust between  us  and  our  new  allies,  unless  the  most 
prudent  measures  are  taken  to  suppress  the  feuds 
and  jealousies  that  have  already  arisen.  I  depend 
much  upon  your  aid  and  influence  to  conciliate  that 
animosity  which  I  plainly  perceive,  by  a  letter  from 
the  marquis,  subsists  between  the  American  officers 
and  the  French  in  our  service;  this,  you  may  depend, 
will  extend  itself  to  the  count,  and  to  the  officers 
and  men  of  his  whole  fleet,  should  they  return  to 
Rhode  Island,  unless,  upon  their  arrival  there,  they 
find  a  reconciliation  has  taken  place.  The  marquis 
speaks  kindly  of  a  letter  from  you  to  him  on  the  sub- 
ject; he  will  therefore  take  any  advice  coming  from 
you  in  a  friendly  light ;  and,  if  he  can  be  pacified, 
the  other  French  gentlemen  will  of  course  be  satis- 
fied, as  they  look  up  to  him  as  their  head.  The 
marquis  grounds  his  complaint  upon  a  general  order 
of  the  24th  of  August,  the  latter  part  of  which  is 
certainly  very  impolitic,  especially  considering  the 
universal  clamour  that  prevailed  against  the  French 
nation. 

I  beg  you  will  take  every  measure  to  keep  the 
protest  entered  into  by  the  general  officers  from 
being  made  public.  The  congress,  sensible  of  the 
ill  consequences  that  will  flow  from  the  world's 
knowing  our  differences,  have  passed  a  resolve  to 
that  purpose.  Upon  the  whole,  my  dear  sir,  you 
can  conceive  my  meaning  better  than  I  can  express 
it ;  and  I  therefore  fully  depend  upon  your  exerting 
yourself  to  heal  all  private  animosities  between  our 
principal  officers  and  the  French,  and  to  prevent  all 
illiberal  expressions  and  reflections  that  may  fall 
from  the  army  at  large. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       199 

I  have  this  moment  received  a  letter  from  General 
Sullivan  of  the  29th  of  August,  in  which  he  barely 
informs  me  of  an  action  upon  that  day,  in  which  h 
says  we  had  the  better,  but  does  not  mention  par- 
ticulars. 

I  am,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Tyvertown,  1st  September,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — That  there  has  been  an  action 
fought  where  I  could  have  been,  and  where  I  was 
not,  is  a  thing  which  will  seem  as  extraordinary  to 
you  as  it  seems  so  to  myself.     After  a  long  journey 
and  a  longer  stay  from  home,  (I  mean  from  head- 
quarters,) the  only  satisfactory  day  I  have,  finds 
me  in  the  middle  of  a  town.     There  I  had  been 
sent,    pushed,    hurried,  by  the   board  of  general 
officers,   and  principally  by  Generals  Sullivan  and 
Greene,  who  thought  I  should  be  of  great  use  to 
the  common  cause,  and  to  whom  I  foretold  the  dis- 
agreeable event  which  would  happen  to  me  ;  I  felt, 
on  that  occasion,  the  impression  of  that  bad  star 
which,  some  days  ago,  has  influenced  the  French 
undertakings,  and  which,  I  hope,  will  soon  be  re- 
moved.    People  say  that  I  don't  want  an  action ; 
but  if  it  is  not  necessary  to  my  reputation  as  a 
tolerable   private   soldier,   it   would   at   least   add 
to  my  satisfaction  and  pleasure.     However,  I  was 
happy  enough  to  arrive  before  the  second  retreat  : 
it  was  not  attended  with  such  trouble  and  danger 


200  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778 

as  it  would  have  been  had  not  the  enemy  been  so 
sleepy,  I  was  thus  once  more  deprived  of  my  fight- 
ing expectations. 

From  what  I  have  heard  from  sensible  and  candid 
French  gentlemen,  the  action  does  great  honour  to 
General  Sullivan :  he  retreated  in  good  order  ;  he 
opposed,  very  properly,  every  effort  of  the  enemy  ; 
he  never  sent  troops  but  well  supported,  and  dis- 
played great  coolness  during  the  whole  day.  The 
evacuation  I  have  seen  extremely  well  performed, 
and  my  private  opinion  is,  that  if  both  events  are 
satisfactory  to  us,  they  are  very  shameful  to  the 
British  generals  and  troops ;  they  had,  indeed,  so 
many  fine  chances  to  cut  us  to  pieces  ;  but  they 
are  very  good  people. 

Now,  my  dear  general,  I  must  give  you  an  ac- 
count of  that  journey  for  which  I  have  paid  so 
dear.  The  Count  d'Estaing  arrived  the  day  before 
in  Boston.  I  found  him  much  displeased  at  a  pro- 
test of  which  you  have  heard,  and  many  other  cir- 
cumstances which  I  have  reported  to  you  :  I  did 
what  I  could  on  the  occasion  ;  but  I  must  do  the 
admiral  the  justice  to  say  that  it  has  not  at  all  di- 
minished his  warm  desire  of  serving  America.  We 
waited  together  on  the  council,  General  Heath,  Ge- 
neral Hancock,  and  were  very  well  satisfied  with 
them ;  the  las.t  one  distinguished  himself  very 
much  by  his  zeal  on  the  occasion.  Some  people 
in  Boston  were  rather  dissatisfied ;  but  when  they 
saw  the  behaviour  of  the  council,  Generals  Heath 
and  Hancock,  they,  I  hope,  will  do  the  same  ;  I, 
therefore,  fear  nothing  but  delays.  The  marts  are 
very  far  off,  provisions  difficult  to  be  provided.  The 
Count  d'Estaing  was  ready  to  come  with  his  land 
forces  and  put  himself  under  General  Sullivan's 


CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778.       201 

orders,  though  dissatisfied  with  the  latter  ;  but  our 
new  circumstances  will  alter  that  design. 

I  beg  you  will  pardon  me  once  more,  my  dear 
general,  for  having  troubled  and  afflicted  you  with 
the  account  of  what  I  had  seen  after  the  departure 
of  the  French  fleet.  My  confidence  in  you  is  such, 
that  I  could  not  feel  so  warmly  upon  this  point  with- 
out communicating  it  to  your  excellency.  I  have 
now  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the  discontent 
does  not  appear  so  great.  The  French  hospital  is  ar- 
rived at  Boston,  though  under  difficulties,  which, 
however,  I  think  I  have  diminished  a  good  deal  by 
sending  part  of  my  family,  with  orders  to  some 
persons,  and  entreaties  to  others,  to  give  them  all 
the  assistance  in  their  power.  Now,  everything 
will  be  right  provided  the  Count  d'Estaing  is  enabled 
to  sail  soon.  Every  exertion,  I  think,  ought  to  be 
employed  for  that  purpose  in  all  the  several  parts 
of  the  continent :  marts,  biscuit,  water,  and  provi- 
sions are  his  wants.  I  long  to  see  that  we  have 
again  the  command,  or  at  least  an  equal  force,  upon 
the  American  seas. 

By  your  letters  to  General  Sullivan,  I  apprehend 
that  there  is  some  general  move  in  the  British  army, 
and  that  your  excellency  is  going  to  send  us  rein- 
forcements. God  grant  you  may  send  us  as  many 
as  with  the  militia  will  make  a  larger  army,  that  you 
might  command  them  yourself.  I  long,  my  dear 
general,  to  be  again  with  you,  and  to  have  the  plea- 
sure of  co-operating  with  the  French  fleet,  under 
your  immediate  orders,  this  will  be  the  greatest  I 
can  feel ;  I  am  sure  everything  will  then  be  right. 
The  Count  d'Estaing  (if  Rhode  Island  is  again  to  be 
taken,  which  I  ardently  wish,)  would  be  extremely 
happy  to  take  it  in  conjunction  with  General  Wash- 
ington, and  it  would  remove  the  other  inconve- 


202      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

niences.  I  am  now  entrusted,  by  General  Sullivan, 
with  the  care  of  Warren,  Bristol,  and  the  eastern 
shore.  I  am  to  defend  a  country  with  very  few  troops 
who  are  not  able  to  defend  more  than  a  single  point. 
I  cannot  answer  that  the  enemy  won't  go  and  do 
what  they  please,  for  I  am  not  able  to  prevent 
them,  only  with  a  part  of  their  army,  and  yet  this 
part  must  not  land  far  from  me  ;  but  I  answer,  that 
if  they  come  with  equal  or  not  very  superior  forces 
to  those  I  may  collect,  we  shall  flog  them  pretty  well ; 
at  least,  I  hope  so.  My  situation  seems  to  be 
uncertain,  for  we  expect  to  hear  soon  from  your 
excellency.  You  know  Mr.  Touzard,  a  gentle- 
man of  my  family — he  met  with  a  terrible  acci- 
dent in  the  last  action ;  running  before  all  the 
others,  to  take  a  piece  of  cannon  in  the  midst  of 
the  enemy,  with  the  greatest  excess  of  bravery,  he 
was  immediately  covered  with  their  shots,  had  his 
horse  killed,  and  his  right  arm  shattered  to  pieces. 
He  was  happy  enough  not  to  fall  into  their  hands  : 
his  life  is  not  despaired  of.  Congress  was  going  to 
send  him  a  commission  of  major. 

Give  me  joy,  my  dear  general,  I  intend  to  have 
your  picture,  and  Mr.  Hancock  has  promised  me  a 
copy  of  that  he  has  in  Boston.  He  gave  one  to 
Count  d'Estaing,  and  I  never  saw  a  man  so  glad  at 
possessing  his  sweetheart's  picture,  as  the  admiral 
was  to  receive  yours. 

In  expecting,  with  the  greatest  impatience,  to 
hear  from  your  excellency  as  to  what  are  to  be  the 
general  plans,  and  your  private  movements,  I  have 
the  honour  to  be,  with  the  highest  respect,  the 
warmest  and  most  endless  affection,  dear  general,  &c. 


CORRESPONDENCE— 1777,  1778.       203 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp,  near  Bristol,  the  7th  September,  1778. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  cannot  let  M.  de  la  Neu- 
ville  go  to  head-quarters  without  recalling  to  your 
excellency's  memory  an  inhabitant  of  the  eastern 
Rhode  Island,  those  who  long  much  to  be  again  re- 
united to  you,  and  conceive  now  great  hopes,  from 
Sir  Henry  Clinton's  movement  to  New  York,  that 
you  will  come  to  oppose  him  in  person.  I  think  if 
we  meet  to  oppose  the  enemy  in  this  quarter,  that 
more  troops  are  absolutely  necessary,  for  we  are  not 
able  to  do  anything  in  our  scattered  situation.  I 
confess  I  am  myself  very  uneasy  in  this  quarter, 
and  fear  that  these  people  will  put  it  in  their  heads 
to  take  some  of  our  batteries,  &c.,  which,  if  pro- 
perly attacked,  it  will  be  difficult  to  prevent.  1  am 
upon  a  little  advance  of  land,  where,  in  case  of  an 
alarm,  a  long  stay  might  be  very  dangerous ;  but  we 
will  do  the  best. 

I  am  told  that  the  enemy  is  going  to  evacuate 
New  York.  My  policy  leads  me  to  believe  that 
some  troops  will  be  sent  to  Halifax,  to  the  West 
Indies,  and  to  Canada ;  that  Canada,  I  apprehend, 
will  be  your  occupation  next  winter  and  spring. 
This  idea,  my  dear  general,  alters  a  plan  I  had  to 
make  a  voyage  home  some  months  hence,  however, 
as  long  as  you  fight  I  want  to  fight  along  with  you, 
and  I  much  desire  to  see  your  excellency  in  Quebec 
next  summer. 

With  the  most  tender  affection  and  highest  re- 
spect, I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


204       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 


TO  THE  DUKE  D'AYEN. 

Bristol,  near  Rhode  Island,  September  llth,  1778. 

I  HAVE  already  endeavoured  to  describe  to  you 
some  part  of  the  pleasure  your  last  letter  gave  me ; 
but  I  cannot  write  again  without  repeating  my 
assurance  of  the  delight  I  derived  from  its  perusal. 
I  have  blessed,  a  thousand  times,  the  vessel  that 
brought  that  letter,  and  the  favourable  winds  that 
blew  it,  to  the  American  shore.  The  kindness  and 
affection  you  express  have  sunk  deeply  into  a  heart 
which  is  fully  sensible  of  all  their  value.  Your 
partiality  has  far  over-rated  my  slight  merit ;  but 
your  approbation  is  so  precious  to  me,  my  desire 
of  obtaining  it  is  so  very  strong,  that  I  experience 
the  same  pleasure  as  if  I  were  conscious  of  meriting 
your  good  opinion.  I  love  you  too  well  not  to  be 
enchanted  and  overjoyed  when  I  receive  any  proof 
of  your  affection.  You  may  find  many  persons 
more  worthy  of  it,  but  I  may  take  the  liberty  of 
challenging  you  to  find  one  human  being  who  either 
values  it  more  highly,  or  is  more  desirous  of  obtain- 
ing it.  I  place  full  reliance  on  your  kindness,  and 
even  if  I  were  unhappy  enough  to  fall  under  your 
displeasure,  I  hope  I  should  not  forfeit  your  affec- 
tion. I  think  I  may  promise  that  that  last  misfor- 
tune shall  never  occur  through  any  fault  of  mine, 
and  I  wish  I  could  feel  as  certain  of  never  erring 
from  my  head  as  from  my  heart.  The  goodness  of 
my  friends  imposes  a  weight  of  obligation  upon  me. 
My  greatest  pleasure  will  be  to  hear  you  say,  whilst 
I  embrace  you,  that  you  do  not  disapprove  of  my 
conduct,  and  that  you  retain  for  me  that  friendship 
which  renders  me  so  happy.  It  is  impossible  for 
me  to  describe  to  you  the  joy  your  letter,  and  the 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      205 

kind  feeling  which  dictated  it,  have  inspired  me 
with.  How  delighted  I  shall  be  to  thank  you  for 
it,  and  to  find  myself  again  in  your  society !  If 
you  should  ever  amuse  yourself  by  looking  at  the 
American  campaigns,  or  following  them  on  your 
maps,  I  shall  ask  permission  to  insert  a  small  river 
or  a  mountain  :  this  would  give  me  an  opportunity 
of  describing  to  you  the  little  I  have  seen,  of  con- 
fiding to  you  my  own  trifling  ideas,  and  of  endea- 
vouring so  to  combine  them  as  to  render  them  more 
military :  for  there  is  so  great  a  difference  between 
what  I  behold  here,  and  those  large,  fine,  well-or- 
ganised armies  of  Germany,  that,  in  truth,  when  I 
recur  from  them  to  our  American  armies,  I  scarcely 
dare  say  that  we  are  making  war.  If  the  French 
war  should  terminate  before  that  of  the  rest  of 
Europe,  and  you  were  disposed  to  see  how  things 
were  going  on,  and  permitted  me  to  accompany 
you,  I  should  feel  perfectly  happy ;  in  the  mean- 
time, 1  have  great  pleasure  in  thinking  that  I 
shall  pass  some  mornings  with  you  at  your  own 
house,  and  I  promise  myself  as  much  improvement 
as  amusement  from  conversing  with  you,  if  you  are 
so  kind  as  to  grant  me  some  portion  of  your  time. 

I  received,  with  heartfelt  gratitude,  the  advice 
you  gave  me  to  remain  here  during  this  campaign  ; 
it  was  inspired  by  true  friendship  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  my  interest:  such  is  the  species  of 
advice  we  give  to  those  we  really  love,  and  this  idea 
has  rendered  it  still  dearer  to  me.  I  will  be  guided 
by  it  in  proportion  as  events  may  follow  the  direc- 
tion you  appear  to  have  expected.  A  change  of 
circumstances  renders  a  change  of  conduct  some- 
times necessary.  I  had  intended,  as  soon  as  war 
was  declared,  to  range  myself  under  the  French 


206       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

banner  :  I  was  induced  to  take  this  resolution  from 
the  fear  that  the  ambition  of  obtaining  higher  rank, 
or  the  wish  of  retaining  the  one  I  actually  enjoy, 
should  appear  to  be  my  only  motives  for  remaining 
here.  Such  unworthy  sentiments  have  never  found 
entrance  into  my  heart.  But  your  letter,  advising 
me  to  remain,  and  assuring  me  there  would  be  no 
land  campaign,  induced  me  to  change  my  determi- 
nation, and  I  now  rejoice  that  I  have  done  so.  The 
arrival  of  the  French  fleet  upon  this  coast,  has 
offered  me  the  agreeable  prospect  of  acting  in  con- 
cert with  it,  and  of  being  a  happy  spectator  of 
the  glory  of  the  French  banner.  Although  the 
elements,  until  now,  have  declared  themselves 
against  us,  I  have  not  lost  the  sanguine  hopes 
of  the  future,  which  the  great  talents  of  M. 
d'Estaing  have  inspired  us  with.  You  will  be  asto- 
nished to  hear  that  the  English  still  retain  all  their 
posts,  and  have  contented  themselves  with  merely 
evacuating  Philadelphia.  I  expected,  and  General 
Washington  also  expected,  to  see  them  abandon 
everything  for  Canada,  Halifax,  and  their  islands  ; 
but  these  gentlemen  are  apparently  in  no  great 
haste.  The  fleet,  it  is  true,  may  hitherto  have  ren- 
dered such  a  division  of  their  troops  rather  difficult ; 
but  now  that  it  is  removed  to  Boston,  they  might 
easily  begin  to  make  a  move :  they  appear  to  me, 
instead  of  moving  off,  to  intend  fighting  a  little  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  I  thought  I  ought  to  con- 
sult M.  d'Estaing,  and  even  M.  Gerard  on  this 
subject.  Both  agreed  that  I  was  right  to  remain, 
and  even  said,  that  my  presence  here  would  not 
prove  wholly  useless  to  my  own  country.  That  I 
might  have  nothing  to  reproach  myself  with,  I 
wrote  to  M.  de  Montbarrey  a  short  letter,  which 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       207 

apprised  him  of  my  being  still  in  existence,  and  of 
the  resolution  I  had  taken  not  to  return  to  France 
in  the  midst  of  this  campaign. 

The  kind  manner  in  which  you  received  the 
gazette  which  John  Adams  conveyed  to  you,  induced 
me  to  send  you  a  second,  which  must  have  made  you 
acquainted  with  the  few  events  that  have  taken 
place  during  this  campaign.  The  visit  that  the 
English  army  designed  to  pay  to  a  detachment 
which  I  commanded  the  28th  of  May,  and  which 
escaped  their  hands  owing  to  their  own  dila- 
tory movements ;  the  arrival  of  the  treaty,  subse- 
quently that  of  the  commissioners,  the  letter  they 
addressed  to  congress,  the  firm  answer  they  received, 
the  evacuation  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  retreat  of 
General  Clinton  through  Jersey,  are  the  only  arti- 
cles worthy  of  attention.  I  have  also  described  to 
you  in  what  manner  we  followed  the  English  army, 
and  how  General  Lee,  after  my  detachment  had 
joined  him,  allowed  himself  to  be  beaten.  The 
arrival  of  General  Washington  arrested  the  disorder, 
and  determined  the  victory  on  our  side.  It  is  the 
battle,  or  rather  affair,  of  Monmouth.  General  Lee 
has  since  been  suspended  for  a  year  by  a  council  of 
war,  for  his  conduct  on  this  occasion. 

I  must  now  relate  to  you  what  has  occurred  since 
the  arrival  of  the  fleet,  which  has  experienced  con- 
trary winds  ever  since  it  sailed ;  after  a  voyage  of 
three  months  it  reached  the  Delaware,  which  the 
English  had  then  quitted ;  from  thence  it  proceeded 
to  Sandyhook,  the  same  place  General  Clinton 
sailed  from  after  the  check  he  encountered  at  Mon- 
mouth. Our  army  repaired  to  White  Plains,  that 
former  battle-field  of  the  Americans.  M.  d'Estaing 
blockaded  New  York,  and  we  were  thus  neighbours 


208       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

of  the  English  both  by  land  and  sea.  Lord  Howe, 
enclosed  in  the  harbour,  and  separated  from  our 
fleet  only  by  the  Sandy-hook  bar,  did  not  accept 
the  combat  which  the  French  admiral  ardently  de- 
sired, and  offered  him  for  several  days.  A  noble 
project  was  conceived — that  of  entering  into  the 
harbour ;  but  our  ships  drew  too  much  water,  and 
the  English  seventy-fours  could  not  enter  with 
their  guns.  Some  pilots  gave  no  hopes  on  this 
subject;  but,  when  we  examined  the  case  more 
narrowly,  all  agreed  as  to  its  impossibility,  and 
soundings  proved  the  truth  of  the  latter  opinion  ;  we 
were  therefore  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  other 
measures. 

General  Washington,  wishing  to  make  a  diver- 
sion on  Rhode  Island,  ordered  General  Sullivan, 
who  commanded  in  that  state,  to  assemble  his 
troops.  The  fleet  stationed  itself  in  the  channel 
which  leads  to  Newport,  and  I  was  ordered  to  con- 
duct a  detachment  of  the  great  army  to  General 
Sullivan,  who  is  my  senior  in  command.  After 
many  delays,  which  were  very  annoying  to  the 
fleet,  and  many  circumstances,  which  it  would  be 
too  long  to  relate,  all  our  preparations  were  made, 
and  we  landed  on  the  island  with  twelve  thousand 
men,  many  of  them  militia,  of  whom  I  commanded 
one  half  upon  the  left  side.  M.  d'Estaing  had  en- 
tered the  channel  the  day  before,  in  spite  of  the 
English  batteries.  General  Pigot  had  enclosed 
himself  in  the  respectable  fortifications  of  Newport. 
The  evening  of  our  arrival,  the  English  fleet  ap- 
peared before  the  channel  with  all  the  vessels  that 
Lord  Howe  had  been  able  to  collect,  and  a  rein- 
forcement of  four  thousand  men  for  the  enemy, 
who  had  already  from  five  to  six  thousand  men. 


CORRESPONDENCE- -1777,    1778.  209 

A  north  wind  blew  most  fortunately  for  us  the  next 
day,  and  the  French  fleet  passing  gallantly  under 
a  sharp  fire  from  the  batteries,  to  which  they  re- 
plied with  broadside  shot,  prepared  themselves  to 
accept  the  conflict  which  Lord  Howe  was  appa- 
rently proposing  to  them.  The  English  admiral 
suddenly  cut  his  cables,  and  fled  at  full  sail,  warmly 
pursued  by  all  our  vessels,  with  the  admiral  at  their 
head.  This  spectacle  was  given  during  the  finest 
weather  possible,  and  within  sight  of  the  English 
and  American  armies.  I  never  felt  so  proud  as  on 
that  day. 

The  next  day,  when  the  victory  was  on  the  point 
of  being  completed,  and  the  guns  of  the  Languedoc 
were  directed  towards  the  English  fleet,  at  the 
most  glorious  moment  for  the  French  navy,  a 
sudden  gale,  followed  by  a  dreadful  storm,  sepa- 
rated and  dispersed  the  French  vessels,  Howe's 
vessels,  and  those  of  Biron,  which,  by  a  singular  ac- 
cident, had  just  arrived  there.  The  Languedoc  and 
the  Marseillais  were  dismasted,  and  the  Cesar  was 
afterwards  unheard  of  for  some  time.  To  find  the 
English  fleet  was  impossible.  M.  d'Estaing  return- 
ed to  Rhode  Island,  remained  there  two  days,  to 
ascertain  whether  General  Sullivan  wished  to  retire, 
and  then  entered  the  Boston  harbour.  During  these 
various  cruises,  the  fleet  took  or  burnt  six  English 
frigates,  and  a  large  number  of  vessels,  of  which 
several  were  armed ;  they  also  cleared  the  coast  and 
opened  the  harbours.  Their  commander  appeared 
to  me  to  have  been  formed  for  great  exploits  ;  his 
talents,  which  all  men  must  acknowledge,  the  quali- 
ties of  his  heart,  his  love  of  discipline  and  of  the 
honour  of  his  country,  and  his  indefatigable  activity, 
excite  my  admiration,  and  make  me  consider  him 
as  a  man  created  for  great  actions. 

I-VOL.   1.  P 


210       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

As  to  ourselves,  we  remained  some  time  at  Rhode 
Island,  and  spent  several  days  firing  cannon  shot  at 
each  other,  which  produced  no  great  result  on  either 
side  ;  but  General  Clinton  having  led  himself  a  re- 
inforcement of  five  thousand  men,  and  a  part  of  our 
militia  having  returned  to  their  own  homes,  we 
thought  of  retiring ;  the  harbour  was  no  longer 
blockaded,  and  the  English  were  resuming  their 
naval  advantage.  Our  retreat  at  that  period  was 
preceded  by  a  trifling  skirmish,  at  which  I  was  not 
present,  having  repaired  to  Boston  respecting  an 
affair  which  I  dare  not  write  for  fear  of  accidents.  I 
returned  in  great  haste,  as  you  may  imagine,  and, 
after  my  arrival,  we  completed  the  evacuation  of  the 
Island.  As  the  English  were  gone  out,  we  were 
such  near  neighbours,  that  our  picquets  touched 
each  other  ;  they  allowed  us,  however,  to  re-embark 
without  perceiving  it,  and  this  want  of  activity  ap- 
peared to  me  more  fortunate,  as  they  would  have 
incommoded  me  exceedingly  had  they  attacked  the 
rear. 

I  am  at  present  on  the  continent,  and  have  the 
command  of  the  troops  stationed  nearest  Rhode 
Island;  General  Sullivan  is  at  Providence;  M. 
d'Estaing  is  taking  in,  at  Providence,  masts  and 
provisions  ;  General  Washington  is  at  White  Plains, 
with  three  brigades,  stationed  some  miles  in  ad- 
vance on  that  side,  in  case  of  need.  As  to  the 
English,  they  occupy  New  York  and  the  adjacent 
Islands,  and  are  better  defended  by  their  vessels 
than  by  their  troops.  They  possess  the  same  num- 
ber of  troops  at  Rhode  Island  that  they  did  formerly, 
and  General  Grey,  at  the  head  of  about  five  thou- 
sand men,  marches  along  the  coast,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  burning  the  towns  and  ransoming  the  small 
Islands.  It  is  thought,  however,  that  the  scene  will 


CORRESPONDENCE— 1/77,  1778.       211 

soon  become  more  animated  ;  there  are  great  move- 
ments in  New  York  ;  Lord  Howe  has  gone  out 
with  all  his  fleet,  strengthened  with  the  greatest  part 
of  Biron's  squadron  ;  M,  d'Estaing  has  taken  pos- 
session of  the  harbour,  and  has  established  some 
formidable  batteries.  On  the  other  side,  Mr.  Grey 
may  form  and  execute  more  serious  projects  ;  he 
is  at  present  in  my  neighbourhood,  and  I  am  obliged 
to  keep  myself  still  more  on  the  alert,  because  the 
stations  which  I  occupy  extend  from  Seconnet 
Point,  which  you  may  see  on  the  map,  to  Bristol, 
I  hope  all  this  will  soon  end,  for  we  are  now  in  a 
very  tiresome  state  of  inaction , 

I  am  becoming  extremely  prolix,  but  I  perceive 
that  I  have  forgotten  dates,  and  two  lines  more  or 
less  will  not  add  much  to  your  fatigue.  The  evacu- 
ation of  Philadelphia  took  place  the  1 8th  June  ;  the 
affair  of  Monmouth  the  28th  ;  we  arrived  on  Rhode 
Island,  I  think,  the  10th  August,  and  evacuated  it 
the  30th  of  the  same  month ;  my  gazette  is  now 
completed. 

An  accident  has  occurred  on  this  Island  which 
has  affected  me  deeply.  Several  French  officers,  in 
the  service  of  America,  have  the  kindness  to  pass 
much  of  their  time  with  me,  especially  when  I  am 
engaged  firing  musket  balls,  M.  Touzard,  an  ar- 
tillery officer  in  the  regiment  of  La  Fere,  has  been, 
during  the  last  months,  one  of  my  constant  asso- 
ciates. Finding  a  good  opportunity  on  the  Island 
of  snatching  a  piece  of  cannon  from  the  enemy,  he 
threw  himself  in  the  midst  of  them,  with  the  greatest 
gallantry  and  courage  ;  but  his  temerity  drew  upon 
himself  a  hot  fire  from  the  enemy,  which  killed  his 
horse,  and  carried  away  his  right  arm.  His  action 
has  been  admired,  even  by  the  English  >  it  would 
be  indeed  unfortunate  if  distance  should  prevent  its 

p  2 


212       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

being  known  in  France ;  I  could  not  refrain  from 
giving  an  account  of  it  to  M.  de  Montbarrey,  al- 
though I  have  not  any  right  to  do  so  ;  but  I  am  very 
anxious  to  be  of  use  to  this  brave  officer.  If  any 
opportunity  offers  of  serving  him,  I  recommend  him 
earnestly  to  your  love  of  noble  actions.  I  confide 
my  letters  to  M.  d'Estaing,  who  will  send  them  to 
France.  If  you  should  have  the  kindness  to  write 
to  me,  and  any  packet  ships  be  sent  out  to  the 
fleet,  I  beg  you  to  take  advantage  of  them.  The 
admiration  I  feel  for  him  who  commands  it,  and  my 
firm  conviction  that  he  will  not  let  an  opportunity 
escape  of  performing  glorious  deeds,  will  always 
make  me  desirous  of  being  employed  in  unison  with 
him ;  and  the  friendship  of  General  Washington 
gives  me  the  assurance  that  I  need  not  even  make 
such  a  request ;  I  often  also  receive  letters  from  M. 
d'Estaing,  and  he  will  send  me  yours  as  soon  as  he 
receives  them.  You  must  feel  how  impossible  it  is 
for  me  to  ascertain  when  I  can  return  to  you.  I 
shall  be  guided  entirely  by  circumstances.  My  great 
object  in  wishing  to  return  was  the  idea  of  a  descent 
upon  England.  I  should  consider  myself  as  almost 
dishonoured  if  I  were  not  present  at  such  a  moment. 
I  should  feel  so  much  regret  and  shame,  that  I 
should  be  tempted  to  drown  or  hang  myself,  accord- 
ing to  the  English  mode.  My  greatest  happiness 
would  be  to  drive  them  from  this  country,  and  then 
to  repair  to  England,  serving  under  your  command. 
This  is  a  very  delightful  project ;  God  grant  it  may 
be  realized  !  It  is  the  one  which  would  be  most 
peculiarly  agreeable  to  me.  I  entreat  you  to  send 
me  your  advice  as  soon  as  possible ;  if  I  but  receive 
it  in  time,  it  shall  regulate  my  conduct.  Adieu,  I 
dare  not  begin  another  page  ;  I  beg  you  to  accept 
the  assurance  of  my  tender  respect,  and  of  all  the 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      213 

sentiments  that  I  shall  ever  feel  for  you  during  the 
remainder  of  my  life. 

I  shall  add  this  soiled  bit  of  paper,  which  might 
have  suited  Harpagon  himself,  to  my  long  epistle,  to 
tell  you  that  I  am  become  very  reasonable  as  relates 
to  expenses.  Now  that  I  have  my  own  establish- 
ment, I  shall  spend  still  less,  and  I  really  act  very 
prudently,  when  you  consider  the  exorbitant  price 
of  every  thing,  principally  with  paper  money. 

I  shall  write  by  another  opportunity,  perhaps  a 
more  speedy  one,  to  Madame  de  Tesse.  I  entreat 
you  to  present  her  with  my  tender  respects.  If  M. 
de  Tesse,  M.  de  Mun,  M.  de  Neuilly,  M.  Senac,* 
retain  a  kind  remembrance  of  me,  deign  to  present 
my  compliments  to  them.  If  M.  de  Comte  le 
Broglie  does  not  receive  news  from  this  country,  as 
he  has  always  expressed  great  interest  in  me,  be  so 
good  as  to  give  him  an  account  of  our  proceedings 
when  you  see  him. 

May  I  flatter  myself  that  I  still  possess  your  good 
opinion  ?  I  should  not  doubt  it,  if  I  could  but  con- 
vince you  how  much  I  value  it ;  I  will  do  everything 
in  my 'power  to  deserve  it,  and  I  should  be  miserable 
if  you  doubted  for  an  instant  how  very  deeply  this 
feeling  is  engraven  in  my  breast.  If  I  have  ever 
erred  in  the  path  I  am  pursuing,  forgive  the  illu- 
sions of  my  head  in  favour  of  the  good  intentions 
and  rectitude  of  my  heart,  which  is  filled  with  feel- 

*  M.  de  Tesse,  first  squire  to  the  Queen,  had  married 
Mademoiselle  de  Noailles,  daughter  of  the  Marshal,  and  aunt 
to  Madame  de  Lafayette ;  M.  de  Neuilly  was  attached,  under  the 
Marshal's  orders,  to  the  stables  of  the  Queen ;  M.  de  Mun, 
father  to  M.  de  Mun,  peer  of  France,  was  intimate  with  the 
whole  family ;  M.  Senac  de  Meilhan  has  been  named  comptroller 
general. 


214      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

ings  of  the  deepest  gratitude,  affection,  and  respect 
for  you  ;  and  these  it  will  ever  retain,  in  all  coun- 
tries, and  under  all  circumstances,  until  my  latest 
breath,  LAFAYETTE, 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Bristol,  near  Rhode  Island,  Sept.  13th,  1778. 
IF  any  thing  could  lessen  my  pleasure  in  writing  to 
you,  my  dearest  love,  it  would  be  the  painful  idea 
that  I  am  writing  to  you  from  a  corner  of  America, 
and  that  all  I  love  is  two  thousand  leagues  from  me, 
But  I  have  reason  to  hope  that  the  actual  state  of 
things  cannot  subsist  for  any  length  of  time,  and 
that  the  moment  appointed  for  our  meeting  is  not 
very  far  removed.  War,  which  so  often  causes 
separation,  must  reunite  us  ;  it  even  secures  my 
return  by  bringing  French  vessels  here,  and  the  fear 
of  being  taken  will  soon  completely  vanish ;  we 
shall  be  at  least  two  to  play  at  the  game,  and  if  the 
English  attempt  to  interrupt  my  course,  we  shall 
be  able  to  answer  them.  How  delightful  it  would 
be  for  me  to  congratulate  myself  upon  having  heard 
from  you  ;  but  that  happiness  has  not  been  granted 
me.  Your  last  letter  arrived  at  the  same  time  as 
the  fleet ;  since  that  very  distant  day,  since  two 
months,  I  have  been  expecting  letters,  and  none 
have  reached  me.  It  is  true  that  the  admiral,  and 
the  King's  minister,  have  not  been  better  treated  by 
fortui]Le  ;  it  is  true  that  several  vessels  are  expected, 
one  in  particular,  every  day  :  this  gives  me  hope  ; 
and  it  is  upon  hope,  that  void  and  meagre  food, 
that  I  must  even  subsist.  Do  not  leave  me  in  such 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      215 

a  painful  state  of  uncertainty,  and  although  I  do 
not  expect  to  be  here  to  receive  an  answer  to  the 
letter  I  am  now  writing,  yet  I  entreat  you  to  send 
me  a  very  long  one  immediately,  as  if  I  were  only 
waiting  for  your  letter  to  depart ;  when  you  read 
this,  therefore,  call  instantly  for  pen  and  ink,  and 
write  to  me  by  every  opportunity  that  you  love  me, 
and  that  you  will  be  glad  to  see  me  again,  not  but 
that  I  am  well  convinced  of  this  ;  my  affection  does 
not  permit  me  to  make  use  of  any  compliments 
with  you,  and  there  would  be  more  vanity  in  telling 
you  that  I  doubt  your  love,  than  in  assuring  you 
that  I  depend  fully  upon  it,  and  for  the  remainder 
of  my  life.  But  every  repetition  of  this  truth 
always  gives  me  pleasure.  The  feeling  itself  is  so 
dear  to  me,  and  is  so  very  necessary  to  my  happi- 
ness, that  I  cannot  but  rejoice  in  your  sweet  ex- 
pressions of  it.  It  is  not  my  reason  (for  I  do  not 
doubt  your  love)  but  my  heart  that  you  delight  by 
repeating  a  thousand  times  what  gives  me  more 
pleasure,  if  possible,  each  time  you  utter  it.  O, 
when  shall  I  be  with  you,  my  love  ;  when  shall  I 
embrace  you  a  hundred  times  ? 

I  flattered  myself  that  the  declaration  of  war 
would  recall  me  immediately  to  France  :  independ- 
ent of  the  ties  which  draw  my  heart  towards  those 
most  dear  to  me,  the  love  of  my  country,  and  my 
wish  to  serve  her,  are  powerful  motives  for  my  re^ 
turn.  I  feared  even  that  people,  who  did  not  know 
me,  might  imagine  that  ambition,  a  taste  for  the 
command  I  am  entrusted  with,  and  the  confidence 
with  which  I  am  honoured,  would  induce  me  to 
remain  here  some  time  longer.  I  own  that  I  felt 
some  satisfaction  in  making  these  sacrifices  to  my 
country,  and  in  quitting  everything  to  fly  to  her 
assistance,  without  saying  one  word  about  the  service 


216          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

I  was  giving  up.  This  would  have  been  a  source 
of  the  purest  gratification  to  me,  and  I  had  resolved 
to  set  out  the  moment  the  news  of  war  arrived. 
You  shall  now  learn  what  has  delayed  me,  and  I 
may  venture  to  say  you  will  approve  of  my  conduct. 

The  news  was  brought  by  a  French  fleet,  who 
came  to  co-operate  with  the  American  troops ;  new 
operations  were  just  commencing ;  it  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  campaign;  this  was  not  a  moment  to 
quit  the  army.  I  was  also  assured,  from  good 
authority,  that  nothing  would  take  place  this  year 
in  France,  and  that  I  lost,  therefore,  nothing  by  re- 
maining here.  I  ran  the  risk,  on  the  contrary,  of 
passing  the  whole  autumn  in  a  vessel,  and  with  a 
strong  desire  to  fight  everywhere,  to  fight  in  truth 
nowhere.  I  was  flattered  in  this  country  with  the 
hope  of  undertaking  some  enterprise  in  concert  with 
M.  d'Estaing ;  and  persons  like  himself,  charged 
with  the  affairs  of  France,  told  me  my  quitting 
America  would  be  prejudicial,  and  my  remaining  in 
it  useful,  to  my  country.  I  was  forced  to  sacrifice 
my  delightful  hopes,  and  delay  the  execution  of  my 
most  agreeable  projects.  But  at  length  the  happy 
moment  of  rejoining  you  will  arrive,  and  next  winter 
will  see  me  united  to  all  I  love  best  in  the  world. 

You  will  hear  so  much  said  about  war,  naval 
combats,  projected  expeditions,  and  military  opera- 
tions, made  and  to  be  made,  in  America,  that  I  will 
spare  you  the  ennui  of  a  gazette.  I  have,  besides, 
related  to  you  the  few  events  that  have  taken  place 
since  the  commencement  of  the  campaign.  I  have 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  be  constantly  employed,  and 
I  have  never  made  an  unlucky  encounter  with  balls 
or  bullets,  to  arrest  me  in  my  path.  It  is  now  more 
than  a  year  since  I  dragged  about,  at  Brandywine,  a 
leg  that  had  been  somewhat  rudely  handled,  but 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      21? 

since  that  time  it  has  quite  recovered,  and  my  left 
leg  is  now  almost  as  strong  as  the  other  one*  This 
is  the  only  scratch  I  have  received,  or  ever  shall 
receive,  I  can  safely  promise  you,  my  love.  I  had 
a  presentiment  that  I  should  be  wounded  at  the  first 
affair,  and  I  have  now  a  presentiment  that  I  shall 
not  be  wounded  again.  I  wrote  to  you  after  our 
success  at  Monmouth,  and  I  scrawled  my  letter 
almost  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  still  surrounded 
with  slashed  faces.  Since  that  period,  the  only 
events  that  have  taken  place,  are  the  arrival  and 
operations  of  the  French  fleet,  joined  to  our  enter- 
prise on  Rhode  Island.  I  have  sent  a  full  detail  of 
them  to  your  father.  Half  the  Americans  say  that 
I  am  passionately  fond  of  my  country,  and  the  other 
half  say  that  since  the  arrival  of  the  French  ships,  I 
have  become  mad,  and  that  I  neither  eat,  nor  drink, 
nor  sleep,  but  according  to  the  winds  that  blow. 
Betwixt  ourselves,  they  are  a  little  in  the  right ;  I 
never  felt  so  strongly  what  may  be  called  national 
pride.  Conceive  the  joy  I  experienced  on  behold- 
ing the  whole  English  fleet  flying  full  sail  before 
ours,  in  presence  of  the  English  and  American 
armies,  stationed  upon  Rhode  Island.  M.  d'Estaing 
having  unfortunately  lost  some  masts,  has  been 
obliged  to  put  into  the  Boston  harbour.  He  is  a 
man  whose  talents,  genius,  and  great  qualities  of 
the  heart,  I  admire  as  much  as  I  love  his  virtues, 
patriotism,  and  agreeable  manners.  He  has  ex- 
perienced every  possible  difficulty  ;  he  has  not  been 
able  to  do  all  he  wished  to  do ;  but  he  appears  to 
me  a  man  formed  to  advance  the  interests  of  such  a 
nation  as  ours.  Whatever  may  be  the  private  feel- 
ing of  friendship  that  unites  me  to  him,  I  separate 
all  partiality  from  the  high  opinion  I  entertain  of 
our  admiral.  The  Americans  place  great  confidence 


218       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

in  him,  and  the  English  fear  him.  As  to  the  Rhode 
Island  expedition,  I  shall  content  myself  with  saying 
that  General  Washington  was  not  there,  and  that  he 
sent  me  to  conduct  a  reinforcement  to  the  com- 
manding officer,  my  senior  in  service.  We  ex- 
changed, for  several  days,  some  cannon  balls,  which 
did  no  great  harm  on  either  side,  and  General  Clin- 
ton having  brought  succours  to  his  party,  we  evacu- 
ated the  island,  not  without  danger,  but  without  any 
accident.  We  are  all  in  a  state  of  inaction,  from 
which  we  shall  soon  awaken. 

Whilst  we  were  on  the  Island,  an  officer,  who  has 
passed  the  winter  with  me,  named  Touzard,  of  the 
regiment  of  La  Fere,  seeing  an  opportunity  of 
snatching  a  piece  of  cannon  from  the  enemy,  threw 
himself  amongst  them  with  the  utmost  bravery. 
This  action  attracted  the  fire  of  his  antagonists, 
which  killed  his  horse,  and  carried  off  part  of  his 
right  arm,  which  has  since  been  amputated.  If  he 
were  in  France,  such  an  action,  followed  by  such  an 
accident,  would  have  been  the  means  of  his  receiv- 
ing the  cross  of  St.  Louis  and  a  pension.  I  should 
feel  the  greatest  pleasure  if,  through  you  and  my 
friends,  I  could  obtain  for  him  any  recompence. 

I  entreat  you  to  present  my  respectful  and  affec- 
tionate compliments  to  the  Marshal  de  Noailles  ;  he 
must  have  received  the  trees  I  sent  him.  I  will  take 
advantage  of  the  month  of  September,  the  most  fa- 
vourable time,  to  send  him  a  still  larger  quantity. 
Do  not  forget  me  to  Madame  la  Marechale  de 
Noailles ;  embrace  my  sisters  a  thousand  and  a 
thousand  times.  If  you  see  the  Chevalier  de  Chas- 
tellux,  present  to:  him  my  compliments  and  as- 
surances of  affection. 

But  what  shall  I  say  to  you,  my  love  ?  What 
expressions  can  my  tenderness  find  sufficiently  strong 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      219 

for  our  dear  Anastasia  ?  You  will  find  them  but  in 
your  own  heart,  and  in  mine,  which  is  equally  open 
to  you.  Cover  her  with  kisses  ;  teach  her  to  love 
me  by  loving  you.  We  are  so  completely  united, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  love  one  without  loving  also 
the  other.  That  poor  little  child  must  supply  all 
we  have  lost ;  she  has  two  places  to  occupy  in  my 
heart,  and  this  heavy  task  our  misfortune  has  im- 
posed on  her.  I  love  her  most  fondly,  and  the 
misery  of  trembling  for  her  life  does  not  prevent 
my  feeling  for  her  the  warmest  affection.  Adieu  ; 
when  shall  I  be  permitted  to  see  thee,  to  part  from 
thee  no  more ;  to  make  thy  happiness  as  thou 
makest  mine,  and  kneel  before  thee  to  implore  thy 
pardon.  Adieu,  adieu  ;  we  shall  not  be  very  long 
divided. 


PRESIDENT  LAURENS  TO  THE  MARQUIS 
DE  LAFAYETTE.* 

Philadelphia,  13th  September,  1777. 
SIR,— I  am  sensible  of  a  particular  degree  of  plea- 
sure in  executing  the  order  of  congress,  signified  in 
their  act  of  the  9th  instant,  which  will  be  enclosed 
with  this,  expressing  the  sentiments  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  United  States  of  America,  of  your 
high  merit  on  the  late  expedition  against  Rhode 
Island.  You  will  do  congress  justice,  Sir,  in  re- 
ceiving the  present  acknowledgment  as  a  tribute  of 
the  respect  and  gratitude  of  a  free  people.  I  have 
the  honour  to  be,  with  very  great  respect  and 
esteem,  Sir,  your  obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

HENRY  LAURENS,  President. 

*  This  letter,  as  well  as  all  those  that  follow  to  that  of  the 
llth  of  January,  1779,  with  the  exception  of  the  letter  to  Lord 
Carlisle,  was  written  originally  in  English. 


220  CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,   1778. 


RESOLUTION    OF   CONGRESS. 

Resolved : — The  president  is  charged  with  writing  to  the 
Marquis  de  Lafayette ;  that  congress  conceives  that  the  sacrifice 
he  made  of  his  personal  feelings,  when,  for  the  interest  of  the 
United  States,  he  repaired  to  Boston,  at  the  moment  when  the 
opportunity  of  acquiring  glory  on  the  field  of  battle  could 
present  itself;  his  military  zeal  in  returning  to  Rhode  Island, 
when  the  greatest  part  of  the  army  had  quitted  it,  and  his  measures 
to  secure  a  retreat,  have  a  right  to  this  present  expression  of  the 
approbation  of  congress. 

September  9th,  1778. 


MARQUIS    DE    LAFAYETTE    TO   PRESIDENT 
LAURENS. 

Camp,  23rd  September,  1778. 

SIR, — I  have  just  received  your  favour  of  the  13th 
instant,  acquainting  me  with  the  honour  congress 
have  been  pleased  to  confer  on  me  by  their  most 
gracious  resolve.  Whatever  pride  such  an  appro- 
bation may  justly  give  me,  I  am  not  less  affected 
by  the  feelings  of  gratefulness,  and  the  satisfaction 
of  thinking  my  endeavours  were  ever  looked  on  as 
useful  to  a  cause,  in  which  my  heart  is  so  deeply 
interested.  Be  so  good,  Sir,  as  to  present  to  con- 
gress my  plain  and  hearty  thanks,  with  a  frank 
assurance  of  a  candid  attachment,  the  only  one 
worth  being  offered  to  the  representatives  of  a  free 
people.  The  moment  I  heard  of  America,  I  loved 
her  ;  the  moment  I  knew  she  was  fighting  for  free- 
dom, I  burnt  with  a  desire  of  bleeding  for  her  ;  and 
the  moment  I  shall  be  able  to  serve  her  at  any  time, 
or  in  any  part  of  the  world,  will  be  the  happiest  one 
of  my  life.  I  never  so  much  wished  for  occasions 
of  deserving  those  obliging  sentiments  with  which  I 
am  honoured  by  these  states  and  their  representa- 
tives, and  that  flattering  confidence  they  have  been 


CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778.      221 

pleased  to  put  in  me,  has  filled  my  heart  with 
the  warmest  acknowledgments  and  eternal  affec- 
tion. I  am,  &c.,  LAFAYETTE. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Warren,  24th  September,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  am  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ception of  your  late  favour.  Your  excellency's  senti- 
ments were  already  known  to  me,  and  my  heart  had 
anticipated  your  answer.  I,  however,  confess  it  gave 
me  a  new  pleasure  when  I  received  it.  My  love  for 
you  is  such,  my  dear  general,  that  I  should  enjoy  it 
better,  if  possible,  in  a  private  sentimental  light 
than  in  a  political  one.  Nothing  makes  me  happier 
than  to  see  a  conformity  of  sentiments  between  you 
and  me,  upon  any  matter  whatsoever ;  and  the 
opinion  of  your  heart  is  so  precious  to  me,  that  I 
will  ever  expect  it  to  fix  mine.  I  don't  know  how 
to  make  out  a  fine  expression  of  my  sentiments, 
my  most  respected  friend ;  but  you  know,  I  hope, 
my  heart,  and  I  beg  you  will  read  in  it. 

Agreeably  to  your  advices  and  my  own  feelings,  I 
made  every  effort  that  I  could  for  preventing  any  bad 
measures  being  taken  on  either  side ;  which  conduct  I 
also  closely  kept  in  the  late  affair  of  Boston  concern- 
ing M.  de  St.  Sauveur.  I  wished  to  have  been  of 
some  use  on  both  occasions,  and  I  hope  we  have 
pretty  well  succeeded.  The  Count  d'Estaing  is  en- 
tirely ours;  so,  at  least,  I  apprehend  by  his  confiden- 
tial letters  to  me  ;  and  it  affords  me  great  pleasure. 
I  have  found  by  him  an  occasion  of  writing  to 


222       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

France ;  and  you  will  better  conceive  than  I  may 
describe,  how  I  have  acted  on  the  occasion.  I 
thought  the  best  way  of  speaking  of  those  internal 
affairs  was  not  to  speak  of  them,  or  at  least  very 
indifferently,  so  as  to  give  any  such  report  which 
might  arrive  as  groundless  and  insignificant.  I 
daresay  my  scheme  will  have  the  desired  effect,  and 
nothing  will  be  thought  of  it  in  France.  I  thought  it 
would  be  well  to  let  the  admiral  know  that  you  do 
not  lay  any  blame  upon  him,  and  that  you  enter- 
tained the  sentiments  any  honest  Frenchman  might 
wish  upon  this  matter. 

Agreeably  to  a  very  useful  article  of  a  letter  to 
General  Sullivan,  I  have  removed  my  station  from 
Bristol,  and  am  in  a  safer  place,  behind  Warren. 
The  few  spies  I  have  been  able  to  procure  upon  the 
island  seem  rather  to  think  of  an  evacuation  than  of 
any  enterprise  ;  but,  you  know,  New  York  is  the 
fountain-head.  I  long  much,  my  dear  general,  to 
be  again  with  you  ;  our  separation  has  been  long 
enough,  and  I  am  here  as  inactive  as  anywhere 
else.  My  wish,  and  that  you  will  easily  conceive, 
had  been  to  co-operate  writh  the  French  fleet ;  I 
don't  know  now  what  they  will  do.  The  admiral 
has  written  to  me  -upon  many  plans,  and  does 
not  seem  well  fixed  on  any  scheme :  he  burns 
with  the  desire  of  striking  a  blow,  and  is  not  yet 
determined  how  to  accomplish  it.  He  wrote  me  that 
he  wanted  to  see  me,  but  I  cannot  leave  my  post, 
lest  something  might  happen :  it  has  already  cost 
dear  enough  to  me.  However,  if  you  give  me 
leave,  I'll  ask  this  of  General  Sullivan,  and  will  do 
what  I  think  best  for  both  countries. 

I  have  heard  of  a  pistolade  between  two  gentle- 
men, which  lasted  very  long  without  much  effect ; 
it  looks  like  our  too  much  spoken  of  cannonade  at 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      223 

Newport,  while  the  siege  was  continued.  I  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  find  out  what  your  excellency 
desires  me  to  inquire  into,  on  account  of  the  French 
queen  :*  but  the  people  of  the  navy  are  too  remote 
from  Versailles  to  have  any  knowledge  of  it,  and  the 
Count  d'Estaing  himself  has  not  any  intimacy  with 
her.  I'll  get  that  intelligence  from  a  better  source, 
and  more  agreeable  to  your  feelings  on  the  matter,  in 
order  that  you  may  do  what  you  think  fit  to  be  done 
if  the  report  is  true. 

I  beg,  my  dear  general,  when  you  write  to  your 
lady,  that  you  would  present  my  respects  to  her  ; 
and  I  beg  also  the  liberty  to  make  here  a  thousand 
compliments  to  your  family.  With  the  highest 
respect  and  most  tender  friendship,  I  have  the 
honour  to  be,  dear  general. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Fredericksburg,  25th  September,  1778. 
MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — The  sentiments  of  affection 
and  attachment,  which  breathe  so  conspicuously  in 
all  your  letters  to  me,  are  at  once  pleasing  and 

*  Several  ladies  had  lately  come  out  from  New  Yorky  who 
reported  that  a  vessel  had  been  captured  and  brought  to  that  city, 
in  which  was  contained  a  present  from  the  Queen  of  France  to 
Mrs.  Washington,  as  "  an  elegant  testimonial  of  her  approbation 
of  the  general's  conduct,"  and  that  it  had  been  sold  at  auction  for 
the  benefit  of  the  captors.  This  intelligence  was  so  confidently 
affirmed  from  such  a  respectable  source,  that  General  Washington 
had  requested  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  make  inquiry  as  to  the 
truth  of  it  through  the  medium  of  Madame  de  Lafayette. — 
of  Washington,  vol.  vi  p.  74. 


224      CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778, 

honourable,  and  afford  me  abundant  cause  to  re- 
joice at  the  happiness  of  my  acquaintance  with  you. 
Your  love  of  liberty,  the  just  sense  you  entertain  of 
this  valuable  blessing,  and  your  noble  and  disin- 
terested exertions  in  the  cause  of  it,  added  to  the 
innate  goodness  of  your  heart,  conspire  to  render 
you  dear  to  me ;  and  I  think  myself  happy  in  being 
linked  with  you  in  bonds  of  the  strictest  friendship. 

The  ardent  zeal  which  you  have  displayed 
during  the  whole  course  of  the  campaign  to  the 
eastward,  and  your  endeavours  to  cherish  harmony 
among  the  officers  of  the  allied  powers,  and  to 
dispel  those  unfavourable  impressions  which  had 
begun  to  take  place  in  the  minds  of  the  unthinking, 
from  misfortunes,  which  the  utmost  stretch  of 
human  foresight  could  not  avert,  deserved,  and  now 
receives,  my  particular  and  warmest  thanks.  I  am 
sorry  for  Monsieur  Touzard's  loss  of  an  arm  in  the 
action  on  Rhode  Island ;  and  offer  my  thanks  to 
him,  through  you,  for  his  gallant  behaviour  on  that 
day. 

Could  I  have  conceived  that  my  picture  had  been 
an  object  of  your  wishes,  or  in  the  smallest  degree 
worthy  of  your  attention,  I  should,  while  M.  Peale 
was  in  the  camp  at  Valley  Forge,  have  got  him  to 
take  the  best  portrait  of  me  he  could,  and  presented 
it  to  you ;  but  I  really  had  not  so  good  an  opinion 
of  my  own  worth,  as  to  suppose  that  such  a  com- 
pliment would  not  have  been  considered  as  a  greater 
instance  of  my  vanity,  than  means  of  your  gratifi- 
cation ;  and  therefore,  when  you  requested  me  to 
sit  to  Monsieur  Lanfang,  I  thought  it  was  only  to 
obtain  the  outlines  and  a  few  shades  of  my  features, 
to  have  some  prints  struck  from. 

If  you  have  entertained  thoughts,  my  dear  mar- 
quis, of  paying  a  visit  to  your  court,  to  your  lady, 


CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778.          225 

and  to  your  friends  this  winter,  but  waver  on 
account  of  an  expedition  into  Canada,  friendship 
induces  me  to  tell  you,  that  I  do  not  conceive  that 
the  prospect  of  such  an  operation  is  so  favourable 
at  this  time,  as  to  cause  you  to  change  your  views. 
Many  circumstances  and  events  must  conspire  to 
render  an  enterprise  of  this  kind  practicable  and 
advisable.  The  enemy,  in  the  first  place,  must 
either  withdraw  wholly,  or  in  part,  from  their  pre- 
sent posts,  to  leave  us  at  liberty  to  detach  largely 
from  this  army.  In  the  next  place,  if  considerable 
reinforcements  should  be  thrown  into  that  country, 
a  winter's  expedition  would  become  impracticable, 
on  account  of  the  difficulties  which  would  attend 
the  march  of  a  large  body  of  men,  with  the  neces- 
sary apparatus,  provisions,  forage,  and  stores,  at 
that  inclement  season.  In  a  word,  the  chances  are 
so  much  against  the  undertaking,  that  they  ought 
not  to  induce  you  to  lay  aside  your  other  purpose, 
in  the  prosecution  of  which  you  shall  have  every 
aid,  and  carry  with  you  every  honourable  testimony 
of  my  regard  and  entire  approbation  of  your  con- 
duct, that  you  can  wish.  But  it  is  a  compliment, 
which  is  due,  so  am  I  persuaded  you  would  not 
wish  to  dispense  with  the  form  of  signifying  your 
desires  to  congress  on  the  subject  of  your  voyage 
and  absence. 

I  come  now,  in  a  more  especial  manner,  to 
acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  obliging  favour  of 
the  21st,  by  Major  Dubois,  and  to  thank  you  for 
the  important  intelligence  therein  contained. 

I  do  most  cordially  congratulate  you  on  the 
glorious  defeat  of  the  British  squadron  under  Ad- 
miral Keppel,  an  event  which  reflects  the  highest 
honour  on  the  good  conduct  and  bravery  of  Mon- 

VOL.  i.  Q 


226      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

sieur  d'Orrilliers  and  the  officers  of  the  fleet  under 
his  command ;  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  to  be 
considered,  I  hope,  as  the  happy  presage  of  a  fortu- 
nate and  glorious  war  to  his  most  Christian  Majesty. 
A  confirmation  of  the  account  I  shall  impatiently 
wait  and  devoutly  wish  for.  If  the  Spaniards,  under 
this  favourable  beginning,  would  unite  their  fleet  to 
that  of  France,  together  they  would  soon  humble 
the  pride  of  haughty  Britain,  and  no  long  suffer  her 
to  reign  sovereign  of  the  seas,  and  claim  the  privi- 
lege of  giving  laws  to  the  main. 

You  have  my  free  consent  to  make  the  Count 
d'Estaing  a  visit,  and  may  signify  my  entire  appro- 
bation of  it  to  General  Sullivan,  who,  I  am  glad  to 
find,  has  moved  you  out  of  a  cul  de  sac.  It  was  my 
advice  to  him  long  ago,  to  have  no  detachments  in 
that  situation,  let  particular  places  be  ever  so  much 
unguarded  and  exposed  from  the  want  of  troops. 
Immediately  upon  my  removal  from  White  Plains 
to  this  ground,  the  enemy  threw  a  body  of  troops 
into  the  Jerseys ;  but  for  what  purpose,  unless  to 
make  a  grand  forage,  I  have  not  been  able  yet  to 
learn.  They  advanced  some  troops  at  the  same 
time  from  their  lines  at  Kingsbridge  towards  our 
old  encampment  at  the  plains,  stripping  the  inha- 
bitants not  only  of  their  provisions  and  forage,  but 
even  the  clothes  on  their  backs,  and  without  dis- 
crimination. 

The  information,  my  dear  marquis,  which  I 
begged  the  favour  of  you  to  obtain,  was  not,  I  am 
persuaded,  to  be  had  through  the  channel  of  the 
officers  of  the  French  fleet,  but  by  application  to 
your  fair  lady,  to  whom  I  should  be  happy  in  an 
opportunity  of  paying  my  homage  in  Virginia,  when 
the  war  is  ended,  if  she  could  be  prevailed  upon  to 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      227 

quit,  for  a  few  months,  the  gaieties  and  splendour 
of  a  court,  for  the  rural  amusements  of  a  humble 
cottage. 

I  shall  not  fail  to  inform  Mrs.  Washington  of 
your  polite  attention  to  her.  The  gentlemen  of  my 
family  are  sensible  of  the  honour  you  do  them  by 
your  kind  inquiries,  and  join  with  me  in  a  tender  of 
best  regards ;  and  none  can  offer  them  with  more 
sincerity  and  affection  than  I  do.  With  every  sen- 
timent you  can  wish,  I  am,  my  dear  marquis,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp,  near  Warren,  24th  September,  1778. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  am  going  to  consult  your 
excellency  upon  a  point  in  which  I  not  only  want 
your  leave  and  opinion,  as  the  commander-in-chief, 
but  also  your  candid  advice,  as  the  man  whom  I 
have  the  happiness  to  call  my  friend.  In  an  address 

*  In  the  preceding  session,  the  English  parliament  had 
passed  bills  called  conciliatory,  and  in  the  month  of  June,  con- 
ciliatory commissioners  had  presented  themselves  to  negotiate 
an  arrangement.  These  were,  Lord  Carlisle,  Governor  George 
Johnstone,  and  William  Eden.  Dr.  Adam  Ferguson,  professor 
of  moral  philosophy  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  was  secre- 
tary of  the  commission.  They  addressed  a  letter  to  Mr.  Lau- 
rens  which  was  to  be  communicated  to  congress.  To  that 
letter  were  joined  private  letters  from  Mr.  Johnstone  to  several 
members  of  the  assembly,  whom  he  endeavoured  to  seduce  by 
exciting  interested  hopes.  The  letters  were  given  up  to  the 
congress,  who  declared  "  tliat  it  was  incompatible  with  their  own 
honour  to  hold  any  sort  of  correspondence  or  relation  with  the  said 
George  Johnstone" — (See  the  Letters  of  General  Washington, 
vol.  v.,  p.  397,  and  vol.  vi.,  p.  31 ;  and  the  History  of  the  American 
Revolution,  by  David  Ramsay,  vol.  ii.,  chap.  16.) 

Q2 


228       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

from  the  British  commissaries  to  congress,  the  first 
after  Johnstone  was  excluded,  they  speak  in  the 
most  disrespectful  terms  of  my  nation  and  country. 
The  whole  is  undersigned  by  them,  and  more  par- 
ticularly by  the  president,  Lord  Carlisle.  I  am  the 
first  French  officer,  in  rank,  of  the  American  army ; 
I  am  not  unknown  to  the  British,  and  if  somebody 
must  take  notice  of  such  expressions,  that  advan- 
tage does,  I  believe,  belong  to  me.  Don't  you 
think,  my  dear  general,  that  I  should  do  well  to 
write  a  letter  on  the  subject  to  Lord  Carlisle,  wherein 
I  should  notice  his  expressions  conveyed  in  an 
unfriendly  manner  ?  I  have  mentioned  something 
of  this  design  to  the  Count  d'Estaing,  but  wish 
entirely  to  fix  my  opinion  by  yours,  which  I  instantly 
beg,  as  soon  as  you  may  find  it  convenient. 

As  everything  is  perfectly  quiet,  and  General 
Sullivan  is  persuaded  that  I  may,  with  all  safety,  go 
to  Boston,  I  am  going  to  undertake  a  short  journey 
towards  that  place.  The  admiral  has  several  times 
expressed  a  desire  of  conversing  with  me ;  he  has 
also  thrown  out  some  wishes  that  something  might 
be  done  towards  securing  Boston,  but  it  seems  he 
always  refers  to  a  conversation  for  further  expla- 
nation. My  stay  will  be  short,  as  I  don't  like 
towns  in  time  of  war,  when  I  may  be  about  a  camp. 
If  your  excellency  answers  me  immediately,  I  may 
soon  receive  your  letter. 

I  want  much  to  see  you,  my  dear  general,  and 
consult  you  about  many  points,  part  of  them  are 
respecting  myself.  If  you  approve  of  my  writing 
to  Lord  Carlisle,  it  would  be  a  reason  for  coming 
near  you  for  a  short  time,  in  case  the  gentleman 
is  displeased  with  my  mission. 

With  the  most  perfect  respect,  confidence,  and 
affection,  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,    1778.  229 


TO  LORD  CARLISLE.* 

I  EXPECTED,  until  the  present  moment,  my  lord, 
to  have  only  affairs  to  settle  with  your  generals, 
and  I  hoped  to  see  them  at  the  head  only  of  the 
armies  which  are  respectively  confided  to  us  ;  your 
letter  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  the 
insulting  phrase  to  my  country,  which  you  yourself 
have  signed,  could  alone  bring  me  into  direct  con> 
munication  with  you.  I  do  not,  my  lord,  deign 
to  refute  your  assertion,  but  I  do  wish  to  punish  it. 
It  is  to  you,  as  chief  of  the  commission,  that  I  now 
appeal,  to  give  me  a  reparation  as  public  as  has  been 
the  offence,  and  as  shall  be  the  denial  which  arises 
from  it ;  nor  would  that  denial  have  been  so  long 
delayed  if  the  letters  had  reached  me  sooner.  As  1 
am  obliged  to  absent  myself  for  some  days,  I  hope 
to  find  your  answer  on  my  return.  M.  de  Gimat, 
a  French  officer,  will  make  all  the  arrangements  for 
me  which  may  be  agreeable  to  you ;  I  doubt  not 
but  that  General  Clinton,  for  the  honour  of  his 
countryman,  will  consent  to  the  measure  I  propose. 
As  to  myself,  my  lord,  I  shall  consider  all  measures 
good,  if,  to  the  glory  of  being  a  Frenchman,  I  can 
add  that  of  proving  to  one  of  your  nation  that  my 
nation  can  never  be  attacked  with  impunity. 

LAFAYETTE. 

*  This  letter  was  written  in  French. 


230  CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Boston,  28th  September,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — The  news  I  have  got  from  France, 
the  reflections  I  have  made  by  myself,  and  those 
which  have  been  suggested  to  me  by  many  people, 
particularly  by  the  admiral,  increases  more  than 
ever  the  desire  I  had  of  seeing  again  your  excel- 
lency. I  want  to  communicate  to  you  my  senti- 
ments, and  take  your  opinion  upon  my  present  cir- 
stances — I  look  upon  this  as  of  high  moment  to 
my  private  interests.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
have  some  ideas,  and  some  intelligence  in  refer- 
ence to  public  interests,  which  I  am  very  desirous 
of  disclosing  to  your  excellency.  I  am  sure,  my 
dear  general,  that  your  sentiments  upon  my  private 
concerns  are  such,  that  you  will  have  no  objection 
to  my  spending  some  hours  with  you.* 

The  moment  at  which  the  fleet  will  be  ready  is 
not  very  far,  and  I  think  it  of  importance  to  have 
settled  my  affair  with  you  before  that  time.  I  am 
going  to  write  to  General  Sullivan  on  the  subject, 

*  In  spite  of  the  obstacles  which  had  arrested  M.  de  Lafayette 
at  the  commencement  of  the  projected  northern  campaign,  he 
had  embraced  with  ardour  the  idea  of  a  diversion  which  was  to  be 
operated  in  Canada,  with  the  combined  forces  of  France  and 
America ;  and  it  was  partly  to  converse  on  this  plan  with  Wash- 
ington, and  later  with  the  cabinet  of  Versailles,  that  he  insisted 
upon  having  a  conference  with  the  general-in-chief,  and  returning 
to  France  before  the  winter.  He  was  even  summoned  to  ex- 
plain himself  on  this  subject  with  a  committee  from  the  congress, 
who  adopted  the  plan  in  principle,  but  decided  that  General 
Washington  should  be  first  consulted.  The  latter  expressed  his 
objections  in  a  public  letter  addressed  to  the  congress,  and  in  a 
private  letter  addressed  to  Laurens,  (14th  November,  1778. ) 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       231 

and  if  he  has  no  objection,  I'll  go  immediately  to 
head-quarters ;  but  should  he  make  difficulties,  I 
beg  you  will  send  me  that  leave.  I  intend  to  ride 
express,  in  order  that  I  may  have  time  enough.  ,  You 
may  think,  my  dear  general,  that  I  don't  ask,  what 
I  never  asked  in  my  life — a  leave  to  quit  the  post  I 
am  sent  to — without  strong  reasons  for  it ;  but  the 
letters  I  have  received  from  home  make  me  very 
anxious  to  see  you. 

With  the  most  tender  affection  and  highest  re- 
spect,  &c. 


FROM    GENERAL    WASHINGTON    TO    THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Fishkill,  4th  October,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — I  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
receiving,  by  the  hands  of  Monsieur  de  la  Colombe, 
your  favour  of  the  28th  ultimo,  accompanied  by 
one  of  the  24th,  which  he  overtook  somewhere  on 
the  road.  The  leave  requested  in  the  former,  1  am 
as  much  interested  to  grant,  as  to  refuse  my  appro- 
It  was  long  before  the  final  decision  of  congress  became  known. 
M.  de  Lafayette  was  still  ignorant  of  it  when  he  embarked  for 
Europe.  The  29th  December,  only,  a  letter  was  addressed  to 
him  from  President  John  Jay,  who  was  charged  by  congress  to 
express  to  him  that  the  difficulties  of  execution — the  want  of 
men  and  materials,  and,  above  all,  the  exhausted  state  of  the 
finances,  did  not  permit  the  accomplishment  of  this  project ;  that 
if,  however,  France  would  first  enter  into  it,  the  United  States 
would  make  every  effort  to  second  her.  But  France,  from  various 
motives,  did  not  shew  herself  disposed  to  snatch  Canada  from 
the  English.  (Seethe  Correspondence  of  Washington,  vol.  vi., 
and  his  Life  by  Marshal,  vol.  iii.) 


232          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

bation  of  the  challenge  proposed  in  the  latter.  The 
generous  spirit  of  chivalry,  exploded  by  the  rest  of 
the  world,  finds  a  refuge,  my  dear  friend,  in  the 
sensibility  of  your  nation  only.  But  it  is  in  vain  to 
cherish  it,  unless  you  can  find  antagonists  to  sup- 
port it ;  and,  however  well  adapted  it  might  have 
been  to  the  times  in  which  it  existed,  in  our  days,  it 
is  to  be  feared,  that  your  opponent,  sheltering  him- 
self behind  modern  opinions,  and  under  his  present 
public  character  of  commissioner,  would  turn  a 
virtue  of  such  ancient  date  into  ridicule.  Besides, 
supposing  his  lordship  accepted  your  terms,  expe- 
rience has  proved  that  chance  is  often  as  much  con- 
cerned in  deciding  these  matters  as  bravery,  and 
always  more  than  the  justice  of  the  cause.  I  would 
not,  therefore,  have  your  life,  by  the  remotest  possi- 
bility, exposed,  when  it  may  be  reserved  for  so 
many  greater  occasions.  His  excellency,  the  ad- 
miral, I  flatter  myself,  will  be  in  sentiment  with 
me ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  can  spare  you,  will  send 
you  to  head-quarters,  where  I  anticipate  the  plea- 
sure of  seeing  you. 

Having  written  very  fully  to  you  a  few  days  ago, 
and  put  the  letter  under  cover  to  General  Sullivan, 
I  have  nothing  to  add  at  this  time,  but  to  assure 
you  that,  with  the  most  perfect  regard — 1  am,  dear 
sir,  &c. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      233 


MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE  TO  PRESIDENT 
LAURENS. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  13th  October,  1778. 

gIR) — Whatever  care  I  should  take  not  to  employ 
the  precious  time  at  congress  in  private  considera- 
tions, I  beg  leave  to  lay  before  them  my  present 
circumstances,  with  that  confidence  which  naturally 
springs  from  affection  and  gratitude.  The  senti- 
ments which  bind  me  to  my  country,  can  never  be 
more  properly  spoken  of  than  in  the  presence  of 
men  who  have  done  so  much  for  their  own.  As 
long  as  I  thought  I  could  dispose  of  myself,  I  made 
it  my  pride  and  pleasure  to  fight  under  American 
colours,  in  defence  of  a  cause,  which  I  dare  more 
particularly  call  ours,  because  I  had  the  good  fortune 
to  bleed  for  it.  Now,  sir,  that  France  is  involved 
in  a  war,  I  am  urged  by  a  sense  of  duty,  as  well  as 
by  patriotic  love,  to  present  myself  before  the  king, 
to  know  in  what  manner  he  may  judge  proper  to 
employ  my  services.  The  most  agreeable  of  all  will 
be  such  as  may  enable  me  always  to  serve  the 
common  cause  among  those  whose  friendship  I 
have  the  happiness  to  obtain,  and  whose  fortune  I 
have  had  the  honour  to  follow  in  less  smiling  times. 
That  reason,  and  others,  which  I  leave  to  the  feel- 
ings of  congress,  engage  me  to  beg  from  them  the 
liberty  of  going  home  for  the  next  winter. 

As  long  as  there  were  any  hopes  of  an  active 
campaign,  I  did  not  think  of  leaving  the  field.  Now 
that  I  see  a  very  peaceable  and  undisturbed  moment, 
I  take  this  opportunity  of  waiting  on  congress.  In 
case  my  request  is  granted,  I  shall  so  manage  my 
departure  as  to  be  certain  before  going  off  that  the 


234      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

campaign  is  really  over.  Inclosed  you  will  find  a  letter 
from  his  excellency  General  Washington,  where  he 
expresses  his  assent  to  my  getting  leave  of  absence. 
I  dare  flatter  myself,  that  I  shall  be  looked  upon  as 
a  soldier  on  furlough,  who  most  heartily  wants  to 
join  again  his  colours,  and  his  most  esteemed  and 
beloved  fellow-soldiers.  In  case  it  is  thought  that 
I  can  be  in  any  way  useful  to  the  service  of  Ame- 
rica, when  I  shall  find  myself  among  my  country- 
men, and  in  case  any  exertion  of  mine  is  deemed 
serviceable,  I  hope,  sir,  I  shall  always  be  considered 
as  a  man  who  is  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
the  United  States,  and  who  has  the  most  perfect 
affection,  regard,  and  confidence  for  representatives. 
With  the  highest  regard,  I  have  the  honour  to 
be,  &c. 

LAFAYETTE. 


PRESIDENT  LAURENS  TO  THE  MARQUIS 
DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Philadelphia,  24th  October,  1778. 

SIR, — I  had  the  honour  of  presenting  to  congress 
your  letter,  soliciting  leave  of  absence,  and  I  am 
directed  by  the  house  to  express  their  thanks  for 
your  zeal  in  promoting  that  just  cause  in  which 
they  are  engaged,  and  for  the  disinterested  services 
you  have  rendered  to  the  United  States  of  America. 
In  testimony  of  the  high  esteem  and  affection  in 
which  you  are  held  by  the  good  people  of  these 
states,  as  well  as  in  acknowledgment  of  your  gal- 
lantry and  military  talents,  displayed  on  many  signal 
occasions,  their  representatives  in  congress  assem- 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.       235 

bled  have  ordered  an  elegant  sword  to  be  presented 
to  you  by  the  American  minister  at  the  court  of 
Versailles. 

Enclosed  within  the  present  cover  will  be  found 
an  act  of  congress,  of  the  21st  instant,  authorizing 
these  declarations,  and  granting  a  furlough  for  your 
return  to  France,  to  be  extended  at  your  own  plea- 
sure. I  pray  God  to  bless  and  protect  you,  Sir  ;  to 
conduct  you  in  safety  to  the  presence  of  your 
prince,  and  to  the  re-enjoyment  of  your  noble 
family  and  friends.  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with 
the  highest  respect,  and  with  the  most  sincere 
affection,  Sir,  your  most  obedient  and  most  humble 
servant, 

HENRY  LAURENS,  President. 


1778.  In  Congress,  October  21st — Resolved,  That  the  Mar- 
quis de  Lafayette,  major-general  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  have  leave  to  go  to  France,  and  that  he  return  at  such 
time  as  shall  be  most  convenient  to  him. 

Resolved,  That  the  president  write  a  letter  to  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette,  returning  him  the  thanks  of  congress  for  that  disin- 
terested zeal  which  led  him  to  America,  and  for  the  services  he 
has  rendered  to  the  United  States  by  the  exertion  of  his  cou- 
rage and  abilities  on  many  signal  occasions. 

Resolved,  That  the  minister  plenipotentiary  of  the  United 
States  of  America  at  the  court  of  Versailles  be  directed  to  cause 
an  elegant  sword,  with  proper  devices,  to  be  made,  and  pre- 
sented in  the  name  of  the  United  States  to  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette. 

October  22nd. — Resolved,  That  the  following  letter  of  recom- 
mendation of  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  be  written  to  the  King 
of  France : — 

To  our  great,  faithful,  and  beloved  friend  and  ally,  Louis  the 
Sixteenth,  king  of  France  and  Navarre  : — 

The  Marquis  de  Lafayette  having  obtained  our  leave  to  return 
to  his  native  country,  we  could  not  suffer  him  to  depart  without 
testifying  our  deep  sense  of  his  zeal,  courage,  and  attachment. 
We  have  advanced  him  to  the  rank  of  major-general  in  our 
armies,  which,  as  well  by  his  prudent  as  spirited  conduct,  he 


236       CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 

has  manifestly  merited.  We  recommend  this  young  nobleman 
to  your  majesty's  notice,  as  one  whom  \ve  know  to  be  wise  in 
council,  gallant  in  the  field,  and  patient  under  the  hardships  of 
war.  His  devotion  to  his  sovereign  has  led  him  in  all  things  to 
demean  himself  as  an  American,  acquiring  thereby  the  confi- 
dence of  these  United  States,  your  good  and  faithful  friends 
arid  allies,  and  the  affection  of  their  citizens.  We  pray  God  to 
keep  your  majesty  in  his  holy  protection. 

Done  at  Philadelphia,  the  22nd  day  of  October,  1778,  by 
the  congress  of  the  United  States  of  North  America,  your 
good  friends  and  allies. 

HENRY  LAURENS,  President. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  the  24th  of  October,  1778. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — You  will  be  surprised  to  hear 
that  I  am  yet  in  this  city,  and  that  I  could  never 
get  out  this  time.  My  own  business  was  imme- 
diately done,  and  I  received  from  congress  all  pos- 
sible marks  of  kindness  and  affection  ;  but  public 
affairs  do  not  go  on  quite  so  fast,  and  I  am  detained 
for  the  expedition  of  projects,  instructions,  and 
many  papers  which  I  am  to  carry  with  me.  The 
zeal  for  the  common  cause  prevents  my  leaving 
this  place  before  I  am  dismissed.  However,  I  will 
certainly  set  out  to-morrow  afternoon  at  farthest. 

Congress  have  been  pleased  to  grant  me  an  un- 
determined furlough  by  the  most  polite  and  honour- 
able resolves,  to  which  they  have  added  a  letter  for 
the  king  in  my  behalf.  I  will  shew  the  whole  to 
your  excellency  as  soon  as  I  have  the  pleasure  to 
see  you ;  and  as  I  hope  to  arrive  two  days  after 
•  this  letter,  I  think  it  is  useless  to  trouble  you  with 
copies. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      237 

I  have  received  an  answer  from  Lord  Carlisle, 
in  which  he  conceals  himself  behind  his  dignity, 
and,  by  a  prudent  foresight,  he  objects  to  entering 
into  any  explanation  in  any  change  of  situation. 

There  is  a  plan  going  on  which  I  think  you  will 
approve.  The  idea  was  not  suggested  by  me,  and  I 
acted  in  the  affair  a  passive  part.  I  will  speak  to 
your  excellency  of  it  more  at  length,  and  with  more 
freedom,  at  our  first  interview.  May  I  hope,  my 
dear  general,  that  you  will  order  the  enclosed  letters 
to  be  sent  immediately  to  Boston,  as  some  of  them 
contain  orders  for  a  frigate  to  put  herself  in  readiness. 

With  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  affec- 
tion, I  have  tbe  honour  to  be. 


LORD  CARLISLE  TO  M.  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

SIR, — I  have  received  your  letter  by  M.  de  Gimat ; 
I  own  it  appears  to  me  difficult  to  make  a  serious 
answer  to  it ;  the  only  one  that  can  be  expected 
from  me  in  my  capacity  of  commissioner  of  the 
king,  and  which  is  one  you  should  have  foreseen,  is, 
that  I  look  upon  myself,  and  shall  always  look  upon 
myself,  as  not  obliged  to  be  responsible  to  any  indi- 
vidual for  my  public  conduct  and  mode  of  expres- 
sion. I  am  only  responsible  to  my  king  and  coun- 
try. In  respect  to  the  opinions  or  expressions 
contained  in  one  of  the  public  documents  published 
by  the  authority  of  the  commission  to  which  I  have 
the  honour  of  belonging,  unless  they  should  be  pub- 
licly retracted,  you  may  feel  certain  that,  whatever 
change  may  take  place  in  my  situation,  I  shall  never 
be  disposed  to  give  any  account  of  them,  still  less 
to  disown  them  privately.  I  must  recal  to  you  that 


238          CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

the  insult  you  allude  to  as  occurring  in  the  corres- 
pondence between  the  king's  commissioners  and 
the  congress  is  not  of  a  private  nature.  I  think, 
therefore,  that  all  national  disputes  will  be  best 
decided  when  Admiral  Biron  and  Count  d'Estaing 
shall  have  met. 


MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE  TO  PRESIDENT 
LAURENS. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Philadelphia,  26th  October,  1778. 

SIR, — I  have  received  your  excellency's  obliging 
letter,  enclosing  the  several  resolutions  congress 
have  honoured  me  with,  and  the  leave  of  absence 
they  have  been  pleased  to  grant.  Nothing  can 
make  me  happier  than  the  reflection  that  my  ser- 
vices have  met  with  their  approbation  ;  the  glorious 
testimonial  of  confidence  and  satisfaction  repeatedly 
bestowed  on  me  by  the  representatives  of  America, 
though  superior  to  my  merit,  cannot  exceed  the 
grateful  sentiments  they  have  excited.  I  consider 
the  noble  present  offered  to  me  in  the  name  of  the 
United  States  as  the  most  flattering  honour ;  it  is 
my  most  fervent  desire  soon  to  employ  that  sword 
in  their  service  against  the  common  enemy  of  my 
country,  and  of  their  faithful  and  beloved  allies. 

That  liberty,  safety,  wealth,  and  concord  may 
ever  extend  to  the  United  States,  is  the  ardent 
wish  of  a  heart  glowing  with  a  devoted  zeal  and 
unbounded  love,  and  the  highest  regard  and 
the  most  sincere  affection  for  their  representa- 
tives. Be  pleased,  Sir,  to  present  my  thanks  to 
them,  and  to  accept,  yourself,  the  assurance  of  my 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      239 

respectful  attachment.  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
with  profound  veneration,  your  excellency's  most 
obedient  servant, 

LAFAYETTE. 


FRAGMENT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  THE  FRENCH 
MINISTER,  M.  GERARD,  TO  COUNT  DE  VER- 
GENNES. 

October,  1778. 

1  ought  not  to  terminate  this  long  despatch, 

without  rendering  to  the  wisdom  and  dexterity  of 
the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  in  the  part  he  has  taken 
in  these  discussions,  the  justice  which  is  due  to  his 
merits.  He  has  given  most  salutary  counsels,  au- 
thorized by  his  friendship  and  experience.  The 
Americans  have  strongly  solicited  his  return  with 
the  troops  which  the  king  may  send.  He  has  re- 
plied with  a  due  sensibility,  but  with  an  entire 
resignation  to  the  will  of  the  king.  I  cannot  forbear 
saying,  that  the  conduct,  equally  prudent,  courage- 
ous, and  amiable,  of  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  has 
made  him  the  idol  of  the  congress,  the  army,  and 
the  people  of  America.  A  high  opinion  is  enter- 
tained of  his  military  talents.  You  know  how  little 
I  am  inclined  to  adulation ;  but  I  should  be  wanting 
in  justice,  if  I  did  not  transmit  to  you  these  testi- 
monials, which  are  here  in  the  mouth  of  the  whole 
world. 


240      CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  29th  December,  1778. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — This  will  be  accompanied  by 
a  letter  from  congress,  which  will  inform  you,  that 
a  certain  expedition,  after  a  full  consideration  of  all 
circumstances,  has  been  laid  aside.  I  am  sorry, 
however,  for  the  delay  it  has  occasioned  you,  by  re- 
maining so  long  undecided. 

I  am  persuaded,  my  dear  marquis,  that  there  is 
no  need  of  fresh  proofs  to  convince  you  either  of 
my  affection  for  you  personally,  or  of  the  high  opi- 
nion I  entertain  of  your  military  talents  and  merits. 
Yet,  as  you  are  on  the  point  of  returning  to  your 
native  country,  I  cannot  forbear  indulging  my 
friendship,  by  adding  to  the  honourable  testimonies 
you  have  received  from  congress,  the  enclosed 
letter  from  myself  to  our  minister  at  your  court.  I 
have  therein  endeavoured  to  give  him  an  idea  of  the 
value  this  country  sets  upon  you  ;  and  the  interest 
I  take  in  your  happiness  cannot  but  make  me  de- 
sire you  may  be  equally  dear  to  your  own.  Adieu, 
my  dear  marquis  ;  my  best  wishes  will  ever  attend 
you.  May  you  have  a  safe  and  agreeable  passage, 
arid  a  happy  meeting  with  your  lady  and  friends. 
I  am,  &c. 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      241 


FROM    GENERAL    WASHINGTON    TO    BENJAMIN 
FRANKLIN,  AMERICAN  MINISTER  IN  FRANCE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  28th  December,  1778. 
SIR, — The  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  having  served 
with  distinction  as  major-general  in  the  army  of 
the  United  States  for  two  campaigns,  has  been  de- 
termined, by  the  prospect  of  an  European  war,  to 
return  to  his  native  country.  It  is  with  pleasure 
that  I  embrace  the  opportunity  of  introducing  to 
your  personal  acquaintance  a  gentleman,  whose 
merit  cannot  have  left  him  unknown  to  you  by  re- 
putation. The  generous  motives  which  first  in- 
duced him  to  cross  the  Atlantic ;  the  tribute  which 
he  paid  to  gallantry  at  the  Brandywine  ;  his  success 
in  Jersey,  before  he  had  recovered  from  his  wound, 
in  an  affair  where  he  commanded  militia  against 
British  grenadiers ;  the  brilliant  retreat,  by  which 
he  eluded  a  combined  manoeuvre  of  the  British 
forces  in  the  last  campaign  ;  his  services  in  the  en- 
terprise against  Rhode  Island ;  are  such  proofs  of 
his  zeal,  military  order,  and  talents,  as  have  en- 
deared him  to  America,  and  must  greatly  recom- 
mend him  to  his  prince. 

Coming  with  so  many  titles  to  claim  your  esteem, 
it  were  needless,  for  any  other  purpose  than  to  in- 
dulge my  own  feelings,  to  add,  that  I  have  a  very 
particular  friendship  for  him ;  and  that,  whatever 
services  you  may  have  it  in  your  power  to  render 
him,  will  confer  an  obligation  on  one  who  has  the 
honour  to  be — with  the  greatest  esteem,  regard, 
and  respect,  sir,  &c. 

VOL.  I.  R 


242  CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,   1778. 

TO   GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Boston,  5th  January,  1779. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — In  my  difficult  situation,  at  such 
a  distance  from  you,  I  am  obliged  to  take  a  deter- 
mination by  myself,  which,  I  hope,  will  meet 
with  your  approbation.  You  remember,  that  in 
making  full  allowance  for  deliberations,  the  answer 
from  congress  was  to  reach  me  before  the  15th  of 
last  month,  and  I  have  long  since  waited  without 
even  hearing  from  them.  Nay,  many  gentlemen 
from  Philadelphia  assure  me,  congress  believe  that 
I  am  gone  long  ago.  Though  my  affairs  call  me 
home,  private  interests  would,  however,  induce  me 
to  wait  for  your  excellency's  letters,  for  the  deci- 
sion of  congress  about  an  exchange  in  case  I  should 
be  taken,  and  for  the  last  determinations  concerning 
the  plans  of  the  next  campaign. 

But  I  think  the  importance  of  the  despatches  I 
am  the  bearer  of;  the  uncertainty  and  improbability 
of  receiving  any  others  here  ;  my  giving  intelligence 
at  Versailles  may  be  for  the  advantage  of  both 
nations  ;  the  inconvenience  of  detaining  the  fine 
frigate,  on  board  which  I  return,  and  the  danger  of 
losing  all  the  men,  who  desert  very  fast,  are  rea- 
sons so  important  as  oblige  me  not  to  delay  any 
longer.  I  am  the  more  of  that  opinion  from  con- 
gress having  resolved  to  send  about  this  time  three 
fast  sailing  vessels  to  France,  and  the  marine  com- 
mittee having  promised  me  to  give  the  despatches 
to  such  officers  as  I  would  recommend ;  it  is  a  very 
good  way  of  forwarding  their  letters,  and  sending 
such  as  your  excellency  may  be  pleased  to  write 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      243 

me.  I  beg  you  will  send  copies  of  them  by  the 
several  vessels. 

To  hear  from  you,  my  most  respected  friend,  will 
be  the  greatest  happiness  I  can  feel.  The  longer 
the  letters  you  write,  the  more  blessed  with  satisfac- 
tion I  shall  think  myself.  I  hope  you  will  not  refuse 
me  that  pleasure  as  often  as  you  can.  I  hope  you 
will  ever  preserve  that  affection  which  I  return  by 
the  tenderest  sentiments. 

How  happy,  my  dear  general,  I  should  be  to  come 
next  spring,  principally,  as  it  might  yet  be  proposed, 
I  need  not  to  say.  Your  first  letter  will  let  me 
know  what  I  am  to  depend  upon  on  that  head, 
and,  I  flatter  myself,  the  first  from  me  will  confirm 
to  you  that  I  am  at  liberty,  and  that  most  certainly 
I  intend  to  come  next  campaign. 

My  health  is  now  in  the  best  condition,  and  I 
would  not  remember  I  ever  was  sick,  were  it  not  for 
the  marks  of  friendship  you  gave  me  on  that  occa- 
sion. My  good  doctor  has  attended  me  with  his 
usual  care  and  tenderness.  He  will  see  me  on 
board  and  then  return  to  head-quarters ;  but  the 
charge  of  your  friend  was  intrusted  to  him  till  I  was 
onboard  the  frigate.  I  have  met  with  the  most  kind 
hospitality  in  this  city,  and,  drinking  water  ex- 
cepted,  the  doctor  has  done  everything  he  could  to 
live  happy ;  he  dances  and  sings  at  the  assemblies 
most  charmingly. 

The  gentlemen  who,  I  hope,  will  go  to  France, 
have  orders  to  go  to  head-quarters ;  and  I  flatter 
myself,  my  dear  general,  that  you  will  write  me  by 
them.  I  beg  you  will  let  the  bearer  of  this,  Captain 
la  Colombe,  know  that  I  recommend  him  to  your 
excellency  for  the  commission  of  major. 

Be  so  kind,  my  dear  general,  as  to  present  my 
best  respects  to  your  lady  and  the  gentlemen  of 

R  2 


244      CORRESPONDENCE — 1777,  1778. 

your  family.  I  hope  you  will  quietly  enjoy  the 
pleasure  of  being  with  Mrs.  Washington,  without 
any  disturbance  from  the  enemy,  till  I  join  you 
again ;  I  also  hope  you  will  approve  of  my  sailing, 
which,  Indeed,  was  urged  by  necessity,  after  wait- 
ing so  long. 

Farewell,  my  most  beloved  general;  it  is  not 
without  emotion  I  bid  you  this  last  adieu,  before 
so  long  a  separation.  Don't  forget  an  absent 
friend,  and  believe  me  for  ever  and  ever,  with  the 
highest  respect  and  tenderest  affection. 

On  board  the  Alliance,  10th  January,  1779. 
I  open  again  my  letter,  my  dear  general,  to  let 
you  know  that  I  am  not  yet  gone,  but  if  the  wind 
proves  fair,  I  shall  sail  to-morrow.  Nothing  from 
Philadelphia  ;  nothing  from  head-quarters.  So  that 
everybody,  as  well  as  myself,  is  of  opinion  that  I 
should  be  wrong  to  wait  any  longer.  I  hope  I  am 
right,  and  I  hope  to  hear  soon  from  you.  Adieu, 
my  dear,  and  for  ever  beloved  friend, — adieu  ! 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

On  board  the  Alliance,  off  Boston,  llth  Jan.,  1779 
THE  sails  are  just  going  to  be  hoisted,  my  dear 
general,  and  I  have  but  time  to  take  my  last 
leave  of  you.  I  may  now  be  certain  that  congress 
did  not  intend  to  send  anything  more  by  me.  The 
navy  board  and  Mr.  Nevil  write  me  this  very  morn- 
ing from  Boston,  that  the  North  River  is  passable ; 
that  a  gentleman  from  camp  says,  he  did  not  hear 


CORRESPONDENCE 1777,  1778.      245 

of  anything  like  an  express  for  me.  All  agree 
for  certain  that  congress  think  I  am  gone,  and  that 
the  sooner  I  go  the  better. 

Farewell,  my  dear  general ;  I  hope  your  French 
friend  will  ever  he  dear  to  you  ;  I  hope  I  shall  soon 
see  you  again,  and  tell  you  myself  with  what  emo- 
tion I  now  leave  the  coast  you  inhabit,  and  with 
what  affection  and  respect  I  am  for  ever,  my 
dear  general,  your  respectful  and  sincere  friend. 


SECOND  VOYAGE  TO  AMERICA, 


CAMPAIGNS  OF  1780  &  1781. 


HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS 


1779,  1780,  &  1781.* 

LAFAYETTE,  who  quitted  France  as  a  rebel  and  fu- 
gitive, returned  there  triumphant  and  in  favour.  He 
was  scarcely  punished  by  a  week's  arrest  for  his 
disobedience  to  the  King,  and  that  was  only  after 
he  had  had  a  conversation  with  the  first  minister, 
Maurepas.  Lafayette  found  himself  the  tie  between 
the  United  States  and  France  ;  he  enjoyed  the  con- 
fidence of  both  countries  and  both  governments. 
His  favour  at  court  and  in  society  was  employed  in 
serving  the  cause  of  the  Americans,  in  destroying 
the  false  impressions  that  were  endeavoured  to  be 
raised  against  them,  and  in  obtaining  for  them  suc- 
cours of  every  kind.  He  experienced,  however, 
many  difficulties ;  the  friends  of  the  Austrian  alli- 
ance saw,  with  displeasure,  that  that  war  would 

*  These  Memoirs  are  extracted  from  the  American  Biography 
of  M.  de  Lafayette,  written  by  himself,  which  we  have  designated 
under  the  name  of  Manuscript,  No.  1.  We  have  completed  them 
by  extracts  of  Manuscript,  No.  2,  which  contains  observations  oa 
the  historians  of  America. 


248  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

cause  the  refusal  of  the  forty  thousand  auxiliaries 
stipulated  by  the  treaty  of  Vienna  ;  the  French  mi- 
nistry already  feared  the  too  great  aggrandisement 
of  the  United  States,  and  decidedly  refused  the  con- 
quest of  Canada,  on  pretence  that  before  a  fourteenth 
state  was  added  to  those  that  had  already  declared 
themselves  independent,  it  was  necessary  first  to  de- 
liver the  thirteen  from  the  yoke  of  the  English.  M. 
Neckar  feared  everything  that  could  either  increase 
the  expense  of  the  war  or  prolong  it.  Maurepas 
himself,  who  had  been  reluctantly  led  into  it,  was 
completely  weary  of  it ;  he  hoped  to  obtain  peace 
by  making  an  attempt  on  England.  Lafayette, 
taking  advantage  of  this  idea,  had  organized  an  ex- 
pedition, in  which  the  celebrated  Paul  Jones  was  to 
command  the  marines,  and  of  which  the  object  was 
to  transport  a  body  of  troops,  bearing  the  American 
banner,  upon  the  coast  of  England,  and  levy  con- 
tributions to  supply  the  Americans  with  the  money 
that  could  not  be  drawn  from  the  treasury  of  France. 
Liverpool  and  some  other  towns  would  have  been 
justly  punished  for  the  part  they  had  taken  in  the 
vexations  exercised  against  the  colonies,  to  whom 
they  were  indebted  for  their  prosperity ;  but  the 
economy  and  timidity  of  the  French  ministers  made 
this  undertaking  fail.  Lafayette,  despairing  of  the 
success  of  the  Canada  expedition,  took  a  step  that 
was  undoubtedly  a  bold  one,  but  which  was  quite  jus- 
tified by  the  issue.  He  had  been  enjoined  not  to 
ask  for  French  auxiliary  troops  for  the  United 
States,  because  the  popular  feeling  of  jealousy 
against  foreigners,  and  especially  against  French- 
men, not  only  rendered  the  congress  itself  averse  to 
this  project,  but  made  them  believe  it  would  excite 
general  anxiety  and  discontent.  Lafayette  foresaw 
that  before  the  succour  could  be  ready,  the  United 


1779,  1780,  1781.  249 

States  would  feel  its  necessity,  and  that  it  might 
arrive,  as  did  actually  occur,  in  a  decisive  moment 
for  the  safety  of  the  cause.  He  took,  therefore, 
upon  himself,  not  being  able  to  obtain  troops  for 
Canada,  to  solicit,  in  the  name  of  the  congress,  what 
he  had  been  positively  forbidden  to  ask,  a  succour 
of  auxiliary  troops  sent  to  a  port  of  the  United 
States,  and  he  made  choice  of  that  of  Rhode  Island 
which,  having  been  evacuated  by  the  English, 
and  being  in  an  Island  suitable  for  defence,  was 
more  likely  than  any  other  to  obviate  all  kinds  of 
difficulties.  He  obtained  the  promise  of  six  thou- 
sand men,  but  four  thousand  only  were  afterwards 
sent,  under  Count  Rochambeau  :  however  trifling 
that  number  might  appear,  Lafayette  knew  that,  by 
employing  young  officers  of  the  court,  and  drawing 
the  attention  of  the  French  upon  that  little  corps, 
the  ministers  would  sooner  or  later  be  obliged  to 
render  it  of  use  by  obtaining  a  decided  naval  supe- 
riority upon  the  American  coast,  which  was  La- 
fayette's principal  object,  and  which  it  was  very 
difficult  to  obtain,  owing  to  other  plans  of  opera- 
tion ;  in  fact,  that  naval  superiority  was  never 
established  until  1781,  and  then  lasted  but  for  a  few 
weeks  :  events  have  since  proved  how  right  Lafayette 
was  to  speak  every  day  of  its  necessity.  The  corps 
which  had  been  granted  were  not  in  readiness  to 
sail  until  the  beginning  of  the  year  1 780.  Lafayette 
in  the  meantime  was  employed  in  the  staff  of  the 
army  which  was  preparing  for  a  descent  on  England, 
under  the  orders  of  the  Marshal  de  Vaux.  It  was 
then  that  Dr.  Franklin's  grandson  presented  him 
officially  with  the  sword  that  congress  had  decreed 
to  him.  Upon  that  sword  were  represented  Mon- 
mouth,  Barren  Hill,  Gloucester,  and  Rhode  Island ; 


250  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

America,  delivered  from  her  chains,  was  offering  a 
branch  of  laurel  to  a  youthful  warrior ;  the  same 
warrior  was  represented  inflicting  a  mortal  wound 
upon  the  British  lion.  Franklin  had  placed  in 
another  part  an  ingenious  device  for  America;  it 
was  a  crescent,  with  these  words :  Crescam  utprosim; 
on  the  other  side  was  the  device,  Cur  non  ?  which 
the  youth  himself  had  adopted  when  he  first  set  out 
for  America. 

Lafayette,  at  the  end  of  the  campaign,  renewed 
his  efforts  to  obtain  the  fulfilment  of  the  hopes  which 
had  been  given  him ;  he  succeeded  in  gaining  pecu- 
niary succours,  which  were  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
General  Washington,  for  it  was  upon  that  general 
that  reposed  the  whole  confidence  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  the  hopes  of  the  French  nation.  Clothing 
for  the  army  had  been  promised  also,  but  that  re- 
mained behind  with  the  two  thousand  men  which 
were  to  have  completed  the  corps  of  Rochambeau ; 
and  Admiral  Ternay,  instead  of  bringing,  as  he 
ought  to  have  done,  a  stronger  naval  force  than  the 
enemy  had  brought,  set  sail  for  Rhode  Island  with 
seven  vessels.  This  expedition  was  kept  very 
secret  ;*  Lafayette  had  preceded  it  on  board  the 

*  It  was  settled  that  that  corps  of  six  thousand  men,  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant-General  Rochambeau,  was  to  be  com- 
pletely under  the  orders  of  the  American  commander-in-chief, 
and  was  only  to  form  a  division  of  his  army.  The  order  of 
service  was  regulated  in  such  a  manner  that  the  French  were 
only  to  be  looked  upon  as  auxiliaries,  keeping  the  left  of  the 
American  troops,  and  the  command  belonging,  when  there  was 
equality  of  rank  and  age,  to  the  American  officers.  In  a 
word,  the  advantages  to  be  derived  by  the  government,  the 
general,  and  the  American  soldiers,  were  stipulated  beforehand 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  prevent  all  future  discussions.  (Manu- 
script, No.  2.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  251 

French  frigate  the  Hermione ;  he  arrived  at  Boston 
before  the  Americans  and  English  had  the  least 
knowledge  of  that  auxiliary  reinforcement. 

(1780.)  The  arrival  of  Lafayette  at  Boston  pro- 
duced the  liveliest  sensation,  which  was  entirely 
owing  to  his  own  popularity,  for  no  one  yet  knew 
what  he  had  obtained  for  the  United  States.  Every 
person  ran  to  the  shore ;  he  was  received  with  the 
loudest  acclamations,  and  carried  in  triumph  to  the 
house  of  Governor  Hancock,  from  whence  he  set 
out  for  head- quarters.  Washington  learnt,  with 
great  emotion,  of  the  arrival  of  his  young  friend. 
It  was  observed  that  on  receiving  the  despatch 
which  announced  to  him  this  event,  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears  of  joy,  and  those  who  are  acquainted 
with  the  disposition  of  Washington,  will  consider 
this  as  a  certain  proof  of  a  truly  paternal  love.  La- 
fayette was  welcomed  with  the  greatest  joy  by  the 
army ;  he  was  beloved  both  by  officers  and  soldiers, 
and  felt  the  sincerest  affection  for  them  in  return. 
After  the  first  pleasure  of  their  meeting  was  over, 
General  Washington  and  he  retired  into  a  private 
room  to  talk  over  the  present  state  of  affairs.  The 
situation  of  the  army  was  a  very  bad  one ;  it  was  in 
want  of  money,  and  it  was  become  almost  impos- 
sible to  raise  recruits ;  in  short,  some  event  was 
necessary  to  restore  the  energy  of  the  different 
states,  and  give  the  army  an  opportunity  of  dis- 
playing its  vigour.  It  was  then  that  Lafayette 
announced  to  the  commander-in-chief  what  had 
been  done,  and  the  succours  which  might  soon  be 
expected  to  arrive.  General  Washington  felt  the 
importance  of  this  good  news,  and  considered  it  as 
deciding  the  successful  issue  of  their  affairs.  All 
the  necessary  preparations  were  made :  the  secret 
was  well  kept,  although  steps  were  obliged  to  be 


252  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

taken  for  the  arrival  of  the  troops,  who  landed 
safely  at  Rhode  Island,  and  who,  in  spite  of  their 
long  inaction,  formed  a  necessary  and  powerful 
force  to  oppose  to  the  English  army. 

During  the  campaign  of  1780,  the  French  corps 
remained  at  Rhode  Island.  After  the  defeat  of 
Gates,  Greene  went  to  command  in  Carolina; 
Arnold  was  placed  at  West  Point;  the  principal 
army,  under  the  immediate  orders  of  Washington, 
had  for  its  front  guard  the  light  infantry  of  La- 
fayette, to  which  was  joined  the  corps  of  the  excel- 
lent partisan,  Colonel  Lee.  This  is  the  proper  time 
to  speak  of  that  light  infantry.  The  American 
troops  had  no  grenadiers ;  their  chasseurs,  or  rifle- 
men, formed  a  distinct  regiment,  under  the  orders  of 
the  colonel,  since  Brigadier- General  Morgan,  and 
had  been  taken,  not  from  different  corps,  but  from 
parts  of  the  country  on  the  frontiers  of  the  savage 
tribes,  and  from  amongst  men  whose  mode  of  life, 
and  skill  in  firing  their  long  carabines,  rendered  them 
peculiarly  useful  in  that  service.  But  the  regiments 
of  the  line  supplied  some  chosen  men,  whose  officers 
were  also  all  picked  men,  and  who  formed  a  select 
band  of  about  two  thousand,  under  the  orders  of 
Lafayette.  The  mutual  attachment  of  that  corps 
and  its  head  had  become  even  a  proverb  in  America. 
As  a  traveller  brings  from  distant  countries  presents 
to  his  family  and  friends,  he  had  brought  from  France 
the  value  of  a  large  sum  of  money  in  ornaments  for 
the  soldiers,  swords  for  the  officers  and  under  officers, 
and  banners*  for  the  battalions.  This  troop  of 

*  Upon  one  of  these  banners  a  cannon  was  painted,  with  this 
device :  Ultima  ratio,  suppressing  the  word  regum,  which  is  used 
in  Europe ;  upon  another,  a  crown  of  laurel  united  to  a  civic 
crown,  with  the  device — No  other.  And  thus  with  the  other 
emblems. — (Note  de  M.  de  Lafayette.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  ,    253 

chosen  men,  well  exercised  and  disciplined,  although 
badly  clothed,  were  easily  recognised  by  their  red 
and  black  plumes,  and  had  an  excellent  and  a  very 
pleasing  appearance.  But,  except  the  few  things 
which  M.  de  Lafayette  himself  supplied,  none  of  the 
things  France  had  promised  to  send  arrived:  the 
money  she  lent  proved,  however,  of  essential  service 
to  the  army. 

During  that  year,  a  conference  took  place  at 
Hartford,  in  Connecticut,  between  the  French  gene- 
rals and  General  Washington,  accompanied  by  Ge- 
neral Lafayette  and  General  Knox ;  they  resolved 
to  send  the  American  Colonel  Laurens,  charged  to 
solicit  new  succours,  and  above  all,  a  superiority  of 
force  in  the  navy.  On  their  return  from  this  con- 
ference, the  conspiracy  of  Arnold  was  discovered. 
General  Washington  would  still  have  found  that 
general  in  his  quarters,  if  chance,  or  rather  the  de- 
sire of  showing  Lafayette  the  fort  of  West  Point, 
constructed  during  his  absence,  had  not  induced 
him  to  repair  thither  before  proceeding  to  Robin- 
son's house,  in  which  General  Arnold  then  resided.* 

*  West  Point,  a  fort  on  a  tongue  of  land  which  advances 
upon  the  Hudson,  and  governs  its  whole  navigation,  is  such  an 
important  position  that  it  is  called  by  an  historian  the  Gibraltar 
of  America.  Arnold  had  been  entrusted  with  its  command,  and 
his  treachery,  if  it  had  proved  successful,  and  been  even  attended 
with  no  other  result  but  that  of  yielding  up  this  fort  to  the  enemy, 
would  have  inflicted  a  deadly  wound  upon  the  cause  of  the 
United  States.  He  had  entered,  during  eighteen  months,  into  a 
secret  relation  with  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  confided  the  whole 
charge  of  that  affair  to  an  aide-de-camp,  Major  Andre.  Arnold 
failed  at  an  appointment  for  the  first  interview  with  Andre  the 
llth  September,  at  Dobb's  Ferry.  A  second  one  was  proposed 
on  board  the  sloop  of  war  the  Vulture,  which  Clinton  sent  for 
that  purpose,  on  the  16th,  to  Teller's  Point,  about  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  below  West  Point.  General  Washington,  who 
was  repairing,  with  M.  de  Lafayette,  to  the  Hartford  conference, 


254        ,  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

Historians  have  rendered  a  detailed  account  of 
the  treachery  of  Arnold.  When,  at  his  own  request, 
the  command  of  West  Point  was  confided  to  him, 
he  urged  General  Washington  to  inform  him  what 
means  of  information  he  possessed  at  new  York. 
He  made  the  same  request  to  Lafayette,  who  acci- 
dentally had  several  upon  his  own  account,  and  to 
the  other  officers  who  commanded  near  the  enemy's 
lines.  All  these  generals  fortunately  considered 
themselves  bound  by  the  promise  of  secrecy  they 
had  made,  especially  as  several  of  the  correspon- 
dents acted  from  a  feeling  of  patriotism  only.  If 
Arnold  had  succeeded  in  discovering  them,  those 
unfortunate  persons  would  have  been  ruined,  and 
all  means  of  communication  cut  off. 

Arnold  was  very  near  receiving  the  letter  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Jameson  in  the  presence  of  the 
commander-in-chief :  he  had  turned  aside,  with  La- 
fayette and  Knox,  to  look  at  a  redoubt ;  Hamilton 


crossed  the  Hudson  the  18th,  and  saw  Arnold,  who  shewed  him 
a  letter  from  Colonel  Robinson,  on  board  the  Vulture,  which 
stated  that  that  officer  requested  a  rendezvous  with  him  to  con- 
verse upon  some  private  affairs.  Washington  told  him  to  refuse 
the  rendezvous.  Arnold  then  made  arrangements  for  a  private 
interview.  Major  Andre  quitted  New  York,  came  on  board 
the  sloop,  and  from  thence  proceeded,  with  a  false  passport,  to 
Long  Clove,  where  he  saw  Arnold,  the  night  of  the  21st.  They 
separated  the  next  morning.  Andre,  on  his  return  to  New 
York,  was  taken  at  Tarry  Town,  by  three  of  the  militia,  and 
conducted  to  the  post  of  North  Castle,  commanded  by  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Jameson,  who  gave  notice  of  this  event,  on  the 
23d,  to  his  superior  officer,  General  Arnold.  The  latter  received 
the  letter  on  the  25th,  the  same  day  on  which  he  expected 
General  Washington  on  his  return  from  Hartford.  He  fled 
immediately ;  a  few  minutes  after  the  general-in-chief  arrived, 
and  he  received,  only  four  hours  later,  the  despatches  which 
apprised  him  of  the  plot. — (Washington's  Writings,  vol.  vii. 
Appendix  No.  7.) 


1779,   1780,   1781.  255 

and  Mac-Henry,  lieutenant-colonels,  the  one  aid- 
de-camp  to  Washington,  the  other  to  Lafayette, 
had  gone  on  before  to  request  Mrs.  Arnold  not  to 
wait  breakfast  for  them.  They  were  still  there,  and 
Arnold  with  them,  when  he  received  the  note :  he 
turned  pale,  retired  to  his  own  room,  and  sent  for 
his  wife,  who  fainted.  In  that  state  he  left  her, 
without  any  one  perceiving  it :  he  did  not  return  into 
the  drawing  room,  but  got  upon  his  aide-de-camp's 
horse,  which  was  ready  saddled  at  the  door,  and 
desiring  him  to  inform  the  general  that  he  would 
wait  for  him  at  West  Point,  hurried  to  the  bank 
of  the  river,  got  into  his  canoe,  and  was  rowed 
to  the  Vulture.  The  general,  when  he  learnt  on  his 
arrival  that  Arnold  was  at  West  Point,  fancied  that 
he  had  gone  to  prepare  for  his  reception  there,  and 
without  entering  into  the  house,  stepped  into  a  boat 
with  the  two  generals  who  accompanied  him.  When 
they  arrived  at  the  opposite  shore,  they  were  asto- 
nished at  finding  they  were  not  expected :  the 
mystery  was  only  explained  on  their  return,  because 
the  despatches  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jameson  had 
arrived  in  the  interim. 

An  historian  has  spoken  of  the  generosity  with 
which  Mrs.  Arnold  was  treated.  It  is,  in  truth, 
highly  honourable  to  the  American  character  that, 
during  the  first  effervescence  of  indignation  against 
her  husband,  she  was  able  to  go  to  Philadelphia, 
take  her  effects,  and  proceed  with  a  flag  of  truce  to 
New  York,  without  meeting  with  the  slightest  in- 
sult. The  same  historian  (Mr.  Marshall)  might  have 
added  that,  the  very  evening  of  Arnold's  evasion, 
the  general,  having  received  from  him  a  very  inso- 
lent letter,  dated  on  board  the  Vulture,  ordered  one 
of  his  aides-de-camp  to  tell  Mrs.  Arnold,  who  was 
in  an  agony  of  terror,  that  he  had  done  everything 


256  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

he  could  to  seize  her  husband,  but  that,  not  having 
been  able  to  do  so,  he  felt  pleasure  in  informing  her 
that  her  husband  was  safe.* 

It  is  impossible  to  express  too  much  respect  or  too 
deep  regret  for  Major  Andre.  The  fourteen  general 
officers  who  had  the  painful  task  of  pronouncing  his 
sentence,  the  commander-in-chief,  and  the  whole 
American  army,  were  filled  with  sentiments  of  ad- 
miration and  compassion  for  him.  The  conduct  of 
the  English  in  a  preceding  circumstance  had  been 
far  from  being  similar.  Captain  Hale,  of  Connec- 
ticut, a  distinguished  young  man,  beloved  by  his 
family  and  friends,  had  been  taken  on  Long  Island, 
under  circumstances  of  the  same  kind  as  those  that 
occcasioned  the  death  of  Major  Andre  ;  but,  instead 
of  being  treated  with  the  like  respect,  to  which  Major 
Andre  himself  bore  testimony,  Captain  Hale  was 
insulted  to  the  last  moment  of  his  life.  "  This  is  a 
fine  death  for  a  soldier !"  said  one  of  the  English 
officers  who  were  surrounding  the  cart  of  execution. 
"  Sir,"  replied  Hale,  lifting  up  his  cap,  "  there  is  no 
death  which  would  not  be  rendered  noble  in  such  a 

*  General  Arnold  is  the  only  American  officer  who  ever 
thought  of  making  use  of  his  command  to  increase  his  fortune. 
The  disinterestedness  of  those  soldiers,  during  a  period  of  revo- 
lution, which  facilitates  abuses,  forms  a  singular  contrast  with 
the  reproach  of  avidity  that  other  governments,  who  have  not 
shown  the  same  moderation  themselves,  have  thought  proper  to 
make  against  the  citizens  of  the  United  States.  The  generals  and 
American  officers  have  almost  all  of  them  fought  at  their  own 
expense ;  the  affairs  of  many  of  them  have  been  ruined  by  their 
absence.  Those  who  had  professions  lost  the  power  of  exercis- 
ing them.  It  has  been  proved,  by  accounts  exacted  in  France 
during  times  of  terror  and  proscription,  that  Lafayette  had  spent 
in  the  service  of  the  American  revolution,  independent  of  his  in- 
come, more  than  seven  hundred  thousand  francs  of  his  capital. 
The  conduct  of  Washington  was  even  more  simple,  and,  accord- 
ing to  our  opinion,  more  praiseworthy :  he  would  neither  accept 


1779,   1780,  1781.  257 

glorious  cause."  He  calmly  replaced  his  cap,  and 
the  fatal  cart  moving  on,  he  died  with  the  most  per- 
fect composure. 

During  the  winter,  there  was  a  revolt  in  the 
Pennsylvanian  line.  Lafayette  was  at  Philadelphia ; 
the  congress,  and  the  executive  power  of  the  state, 
knowing  his  influence  over  the  troops,  induced  him 
to  proceed  thither  with  General  Saint  Clair.  They 
were  received  by  the  troops  with  marked  respect, 
and  they  listened  to  their  complaints,  which  were 
but  too  well  grounded.  General  Wayne  was  in  the 
midst  of  them,  and  had  undertaken  a  negotiation  in 
concert  with  the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  Lafayette 
had  only,  therefore ,  to  repair  to  head  quarters.  The 
discontent  of  the  Pennsylvanians  was  appeased  by 
the  measures  of  conciliation  which  had  been  already 
begun ;  but  the  same  kind  of  revolt  in  a  Jersey 
brigade  was  suppressed  with  more  vigour  by  the 
general-in-chief,  who,  setting  out  with  some  bat- 
talions of  Lafayette's  light  infantry,  brought  the 
mutineers  to  reason,  and  the  generals,  no  longer  re- 
strained by  the  interference  of  the  civil  authority, 

the  profit  of  emolument,  nor  the  pride  of  sacrifice  ;  he  was  paid 
for  all  necessary  expenses,  and,  without  increasing  his  fortune, 
only  lessened  it,  from  the  injury  it  unavoidably  received  from 
his  absence.  Whilst  all  the  American  officers  conducted  them- 
selves with  the  most  patriotic  disinterestedness,  and  all  the 
pretensions  of  the  army  were  satisfied  with  the  compensation  of 
seven  years  pay,  we  can  only  quote  the  single  example  of  the 
traitor  Arnold,  who  endeavoured,  from  circumstances  the  slight- 
est, to  draw  pecuniary  advantage.  Some  grants  of  Ian  s  have 
been  made  by  the  southern  states  to  Generals  Greene  and 
Wayne,  and  Colonel  Washington,  but  only  since  the  revolution. 
The  shares  of  the  Potomac,  given  also  since  the  revolution  to 
General  Washington,  were  left  by  him  in  his  will  for  the  foun- 
dation of  a  colleger  in  a  word,  we  may  affirm,  that  delicacy  and 
disinterestedness  have  been  universal  in  the  American  army. 
(Note  of  M.  de  Lafayette.) 
VOL.  I.  S 


258  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

re-established  immediately  that  military  diseipl'ne 
which  was  on  the  point  of  being  lost.* 

(1781.)  General  Arnold  was  at  Portsmouth,  in 
Virginia  ;  Washington  formed  the  project  of  com- 
bining with  the  French  to  attack  him,  and  take  the 
garrison.  Lafayette  set  out  from  the  head  quarters 
with  twelve  hundred  of  the  light  infantry  ;  he  pre- 
tended to  make  an  attack  on  Staten  Island,  and 
marching  rapidly  by  Philadelphia  to  Head-of-Elk, 
he  embarked  with  his  men  in  some  small  boats,  and 
arrived  safely  at  Annapolis.  He  set  out  from  thence 
in  a  canoe,  with  some  officers,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
English  frigates  that  were  stationed  in  the  bay,  he 
repaired  to  Williamsburg,  to  assemble  the  militia, 
whilst  his  detachment  was  still  waiting  for  the 
escort  which  the  French  were  to  send  him.  La- 
fayette had  already  blockaded  Portsmouth,  and 
driven  back  the  enemy's  picquets,  when  the  issue  of 
the  combat  between  Admiral  Arbuthnot  and  M. 

*  The  writings  of  that  period  give  an  account  of  the  revolt  of 
the  soldiers  of  Pennsylvania ;  the  complaints  of  most  of  them 
were  well  founded.  When  General  Saint  Clair,  Lafayette,  and 
Laurens,  repairing  from  Philadelphia  to  head  quarters,  stopped 
at  Princetown,  as  they  had  been  desired  to  do  by  the  council  of 
state  of  Pennsylvania,  they  found  a  negotiation  begun  by  General 
Wayne,  and  Colonels  Stewart  and  Butler,  who  were  all  three 
much  beloved  by  the  Pennsylvanian  soldiers ;  committees  ar- 
rived from  the  congress  and  state,  to  arrange  the  affair,  not  in 
a  military,  but  in  a  civil  manner :  they  remained  but  a  few  hours 
at  Princetown,  and  the  business  was  soon  settled  in  the  same 
manner  in  which  it  was  commenced.  But  when  the  soldiers  of 
the  Jersey  line  wished  to  imitate  the  revolt  of  the  Pennsylva- 
nians,  General  Washington  stifled  it  in  its  birth  by  vigorous 
measures.  But  it  should  be  added  that  the  sufferings  and  dis- 
appointments of  that  brave  and  virtuous  army  were  sufficient  to 
weary  the  patience  of  any  human  being :  the  conduct  of  the 
continental  troops,  during  the  revolution,  has  been,  in  truth, 
most  admirable. 


1779,   1780,  1781,  259 

Destouches,  the  commander  of  the  French  squadron, 
[eft  the  English  complete  masters  of  the  Chesapeake. 
Lafayette  could  only  then  return  to  Annapolis,  to 
re-conduct  his  detachment  to  the  camp.  He  found 
himself  blockaded  by  small  English  frigates,  which 
were  much  too  considerable  in  point  of  force  for  his 
boats  ;  but  having  placed  cannon  on  some  merchant 
ships,  and  embarked  troops  in  them,  he,  by  that 
manoeuvre,  made  the  English  frigates  retreat,  and 
taking  advantage  of  a  favourable  wind,  he  reached 
with  his  men  the  Head-of-Elk,  where  he  received 
some  very  important  despatches  from  General  Wash- 
ington* The  enemy's  plan  of  campaign  was  just  at 
that  time  become  known  :  Virginia  was  to  be  its 
object.  General  Phillips  had  left  New  York  with  a 
corps  of  troops  to  reinforce  Arnold.  The  general 
wrote  to  Lafayette  to  go  to  the  succour  of  Virginia. 
The  task  was  not  an  easy  one ;  the  men  whom  he 
commanded  had  engaged  themselves  for  a  short  ex- 
pedition :  they  belonged  to  the  northern  states, 
which  still  retained  strong  prejudices  as  to  the  un- 
healthiness  of  the  southern  states  ;  they  had  neither 
shirts  nor  shoes.  Some  Baltimore  merchants  lent 
Lafayette,  on  his  bill,  two  thousand  guineas,  which 
sufficed  to  buy  some  linen,  The  ladies  of  Balti- 
more, whom  he  met  with  at  a  ball  given  in  his 
honour  when  he  passed  through  the  town,  under- 
took to  make  the  shirts  themselves.  The  young 
men  of  the  same  city  formed  themselves  into  a 
company  of  volunteer  dragoons.  His  corps  were 
beginning  to  desert.  Lafayette  issued  an  order, 
declaring  that  he  was  setting  out  for  a  difficult  and 
dangerous  expedition  ;  that  he  hoped  that  the 
soldiers  would  not  abandon  him,  but  that  whoever 
wished  to  go  away  might  do  so  instantly ;  and  he 
sent  away  two  soldiers  who  had  just  been  punished 

s  2 


260  HISTORICAL   MEMOIRS, 

for  some  serious  offences.  From  that  hour  all  de- 
sertions ceased,  and  not  one  man  would  leave  him  : 
this  feeling  was  so  strong,  that  an  under  officer, 
who  was  prevented  by  a  diseased  leg  from  following 
the  detachment,  hired,  at  his  own  expense,  a  cart, 
rather  than  separate  from  it.  This  anecdote  is  ho- 
nourable to  the  American  troops,  and  deserves  to 
become  publicly  known. 

Lafayette  had  conceived  that  the  capital  of  Vir- 
ginia would  be  the  principal  object  of  the  enemy's 
attack.  Richmond  was  filled  with  magazines  ;  its 
pillage  would  have  proved  fatal  to  the  cause.  La- 
fayette marched  thither  with  such  rapidity,  that 
when  General  Phillips,  arriving  before  Richmond, 
learnt  that  Lafayette  had  arrived  there  the  night 
before,  he  would  not  believe  it.  Having  ascertained, 
however,  the  truth  of  the  report,  he  dared  not 
attack  the  heights  of  Richmond.  Lafayette  had  a 
convoy  to  send  to  the  southern  states ;  he  recon- 
noitred Petersburg  carefully.  This  threatened  attack 
assembled  the  English,  and  whilst  the  removing 
of  cannon,  and  other  preparations  for  an  assault, 
amused  them,  the  convoy  was  sent  off  rapidly  with 
the  munition  and  clothes  which  General  Greene 
required.  After  the  death  of  General  Phillips,  who 
died  that  same  day,  Arnold  wrote,  by  a  flag  of  truce, 
to  Lafayette,  who  refused  to  receive  his  letter.  He 
sent  for  the  English  officer,  and,  with  many  expres- 
sions of  respect  for  the  British  army,  told  him  that 
he  could  not  consent  to  hold  any  correspondence 
with  its  present  general.  This  refusal  gave  great 
pleasure  to  General  Washington  and  the  public,  and 
placed  Arnold  in  an  awkward  situation  with  his  own 
army. 

Lord  Cornwallis,  on  entering  Virginia  by  Carolina, 
got  rid  of  all  his  equipage,  and  did  the  same  also 


1779,   1780,   1781.  261 

respecting  the  heavy  baggage  of  the  army  under  his 
orders.  Lafayette  placed  himself  under  the  same 
regimen,  and,  during  the  whole  of  that  campaign,  the 
two  armies  slept  without  any  shelter,  and  only  carried 
absolute  necessaries  with  them.  Upon  that  active 
and  decisive  conflict  the  issue  of  the  war  was  to 
depend  ;  for  if  the  English,  who  bore  all  the  force 
of  the  campaign  on  that  point,  became  masters  of 
Virginia,  not  only  the  army  of  Lafayette,  but  also 
that  of  Greene,  who  drew  from  thence  all  his  re- 
sources,— and  not  only  Virginia,  but  all  the  states 
south  of  the  Chesapeake,  would  inevitably  be  lost. 
Thus  the  letters  of  the  commander-in-chief,  whilst 
telling  Lafayette  that  he  did  not  deceive  himself  as 
to  the  difficulties  of  the  undertaking,  merely  re- 
quested him  to  prolong  as  much  as  possible  the  de- 
fence of  the  state.  The  result  was  far  more  suc- 
cessful than  any  person  had  dared  to  hope,  at  a 
period  when  all  eyes  and  all  thoughts  were  directed 
towards  that  one  decisive  point. 

The  military  scene  in  Virginia  was  soon  to 
become  more  interesting.  General  Greene  had 
marched  to  the  right,  to  attack  the  posts  of  South 
Carolina,  whilst  Lord  Cornwallis  was  in  North 
Carolina.  Cornwallis  allowed  him  to  depart,  and, 
marching  also  to  the  right,  burnt  his  own  equipage 
and  tents,  to  be  enabled  to  remove  more  easily ;  he 
then  advanced  rapidly  towards  Petersburg,  and  made 
Virginia  the  principal  seat  of  war.  General  Wash- 
ington wrote  to  Lafayette  that  he  could  send  him  no 
other  reinforcement  than  eight  hundred  of  the  mu- 
tinous Pennsylvanians,  who  had  been  formed  again 
into  a  corps  on  the  side  of  Lancaster.  Lord  Corn- 
wallis had  obtained,  and  generally  by  the  aid  of 
negroes,  the  best  horses  in  Virginia.  His  Tarleton 
front  guard,  mounted  on  race  horses,  stopped,  like 


262  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

birds  of  prey,  all  they  met  with.  The  active  corps 
of  Oornwallis  was  composed  of  more  than  four  thou- 
sand men,  of  which  eight  hundred  were  supplied 
with  horses.  The  command  was  divided  in  the 
following  manner :  General  Rochambeau  remained 
at  Rhode  Island  with  his  French  corps  ;  Washington 
commanded  in  person  the  American  troops  before 
New  York  ;  he  summoned,  some  time  after,  the 
corps  of  Rochambeau  to  join  him.  That  French 
lieutenant-general  was  under  his  orders  the  same  as 
the  American  major-generals,  for  when  Lafayette 
asked  for  the  succour  of  troops,  he  took  care  to 
stipulate,  in  the  most  positive  manner,  that  it  was  to 
be  placed  entirely  under  Washington's  orders.  The 
Americans  were  to  have  the  right  side ;  the  American 
officer,  when  rank  and  age  were  equal,  was  to  com- 
mand the  French  officer.  Lafayette  had  wished  to 
give  the  rising  republic  all  the  advantages  and  all 
the  consequence  of  the  greatest  and  longest  estab- 
lished powers,  Washington  had  sent,  the  preced- 
ing year,  General  Greene  to  command  in  the 
southern  states  ;  Virginia  was  nominally  comprised 
in  that  command,  and  had  not  yet  become  the 
theatre  of  war,  but  the  distance  between  the  opera- 
tions of  Carolina  and  those  of  Virginia  was  so  great, 
and  the  communications  were  so  difficult,  that  it 
was  impossible  for  Greene  to  direct  what  was  passing 
in  Virginia.  Lafayette  took,  therefore,  the  chief 
command,  corresponding  in  a  direct  manner  with 
General  Washington,  and  occasionally  with  the  con- 
gress. But  he  wished  that  Greene  should  retain 
his  title  of  supremacy,  and  he  only  sent  to  the  head 
quarters  copies  of  General  Greene's  letters,  who  was 
his  intimate  friend,  in  the  same  way  that  both  he 
and  Greene  had  always  been  on  the  most  intimate 
footing  with  General  Washington.  During  the 


1779,  1780,  1781.  263 

whole  of  this  campaign  the  most  perfect  harmony 
always  subsisted  between  the  generals,  and  contri- 
buted much  to  the  success  of  the  enterprise. 

Lafayette,  after  having  saved  the  magazines  of 
Richmond,  hastened  to  have  them  evacuated  ;  he 
had  taken  his  station  at  Osborn,  and  wrote  to  Ge- 
neral Washington  that  he  would  remain  there,  as 
long  as  his  weakest  point,  which  was  the  left,  should 
not  be  threatened  with  an  attack.  Lord  Cornwallis 
did  not  fail  soon  to  perceive  the  weakness  of  that 
point,  and  Lafayette  retreated  with  his  little  corps, 
who,  including  recruits  and  the  militia,  did  not  ex- 
ceed two  thousand  five  hundred  men.  The  richest 
young  men  of  Virginia  and  Maryland  had  come  to 
join  him  as  volunteer  dragoons,  and  from  their  in- 
telligence, as  well  as  from  the  superiority  of  their 
horses,  they  had  been  of  essential  service  to  him. 
The  Americans  retreated  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
front  guard  of  the  enemy  arrived  on  the  spot  just  as 
they  had  quitted  it,  and,  without  running  any  risk 
themselves,  they  retarded  as  much  as  possible  its 
progress.  Wayne  was  advancing  with  the  reinforce- 
ment of  Pennsylvanians.  Lafayette  made  all  his 
calculations  so  as  to  be  able  to  effect  a  junction  with 
that  corps,  without  being  prevented  from  covering 
the  military  magazines  of  the  southern  states,  which 
were  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  on  the  height  of 
Fluvana.  But  the  Pennsylvanians  had  delayed  their 
movements,  and  Lafayette  was  thus  obliged  to  make 
a  choice.  He  went  to  rejoin  his  reinforcement  at 
Raccoon-Ford,  and  hastened,  by  forced  marches,  to 
come  into  contact  with  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  had 
had  time  to  make  one  detachment  at  Charlottesville, 
and  another  at  the  James  River  Fork.  The  first 
had  dispersed  the  Virginian  assembly ;  the  second 
had  done  no  material  injury;  but  the  principal 


264  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

blow  was  to  be  struck  :  Lord  Corn  wall  is  was  estab- 
lished in  a  good  position,  within  one  march  of  the 
magazines,  when  Lafayette  arrived  close  to  him  on 
a  road  leading  towards  those  magazines.  It  was 
necessary  for  him  to  pass  before  the  English  army, 
presenting  them  his  flank,  and  exposing  himself  to 
a  certain  defeat :  he  fortunately  found  out  a  shorter 
road  which  had  remained  for  a  long  time  undis- 
covered, which  he  repaired  during  the  night ; 
and  the  next  day,  to  the  great  surprise  of  the  Eng- 
lish general,  he  was  established  in  an  impregnable 
station,  between  the  English  and  the  magazines, 
whose  loss  must  have  occasioned  that  of  the  whole 
southern  army,  of  whom  they  were  the  sole  resource  ; 
for  there  was  a  road  behind  the  mountains  that  the 
English  never  intercepted,  and  by  which  the  wants 
of  General  Greene's  army  were  supplied.  Lord 
Cornwallis,  when  he  commenced  the  pursuit  of  La- 
fayette, had  written  a  letter,  which  was  intercepted, 
in  which  he  made  use  of  this  expression  :  The  boy 
cannot  escape  me.  He  flattered  himself  with  termi- 
nating, by  that  one  blow,  the  war  in  the  whole 
southern  part  of  the  United  States,  for  it  would 
have  been  easy  for  him  afterwards  to  take  posses- 
sion of  Baltimore,  and  march  towards  Philadelphia. 
He  beheld  in  this  manner  the  failure  of  the  principal 
part  of  his  plan,  and  retreated  towards  Richmond, 
whilst  Lafayette,  who  had  been  joined  in  his  new 
station  by  a  corps  of  riflemen,  as  well  as  by  some 
militia,  received  notice  beforehand  to  proceed  for- 
ward on  a  certain  day,  and  followed,  step  by  step, 
the  English  general,  without,  however,  risking  an 
engagement  with  a  force  so  superior  to  his  own. 
His  corps  gradually  increased.  Lord  Cornwallis 
thought  proper  to  evacuate  Richmond;  Lafayette 
followed  him,  and  ordered  Colonel  Butler  to  attack 


1779,  1780,  1781.  265 

his  rear  guard  near  Williamsburg.  Some  manoeuvre 
took  place  on  that  side,  of  which  the  prin- 
cipal object  on  Lafayette's  part  was,  to  convince 
Lord  Cornwallis  that  his  force  was  more  consider- 
able than  it  was  in  reality.  The  English  evacuated 
Williamsburg,  and  passed  over  James  River  to  James 
Island.  A  warm  action  took  place  between  the 
English  army  and  the  advance  guard,  whom  La- 
fayette had  ordered  to  the  attack  whilst  they  were 
crossing  the  river.  Lord  Cornwallis  had  stationed 
the  first  troops  on  the  other  side,  to  give  the  appear- 
an.ce  as  if  the  greatest  number  of  the  troops  had 
already  passed  over  the  river.  Although  every 
person  was  unanimous  in  asserting  that  this  was  the 
case,  Lafayette  himself  suspected  the  deception,  and 
quitted  his  detachment  to  make  observations  upon 
a  tongue  of  land,  from  whence  he  could  more  easily 
view  the  passage  of  the  enemy.  During  that  time, 
a  piece  of  cannon,  exposed,  doubtless,  intentionally, 
tempted  General  Wayne,  a  brave  and  very  enter- 
prising officer. 

Lafayette  found,  on  his  return,  the  advance  guard 
engaged  in  action  with  a  very  superior  force  ;  he 
withdrew  it,  however  (after  a  short  but  extremely 
warm  conflict) ,  in  good  order,  and  without  receiving 
a  check.  The  report  was  spread  that  he  had  had  a 
horse  killed  under  him,  but  it  was  merely  the  one 
that  was  led  by  his  side.*  The  English  army  pur- 

*  Mr.  Marshall  relates  the  affair  of  Jamestown.  There 
were  no  militia  present,  except  the  riflemen,  who  were  placed  in 
advance  in  the  wood.  They  threw  down  successively  three 
commandants  of  the  advance  post,  placed  there  by  Cornwallis, 
that  what  was  passing  behind  might  not  be  seen.  This  obsti- 
nacy in  covering  the  position  excited  the  suspicion  of  La- 
fayette, in  spite  of  the  unanimous  opinion  that  a  rear  guard  was 
alone  remaining  there.  As  soon  as  he  saw,  from  the  projecting 
tongue  of  land,  that  those  who  had  crossed  over  were  placed  in 


266  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

sued  its  route  to  Portsmouth ;  it  then  returned  by 
water  to  take  its  station  at  Yorktown  and  Glouces- 
ter, upon  the  York  River.  A  garrison  still  remained 
at  Portsmouth.  Lafayette  made  some  demonstra- 
tions of  attack,  and  that  garrison  united  itself  to 
the  body  of  the  army  at  Yorktown. 

Lafayette  was  extremely  desirous  that  the  English 
army  should  unite  at  that  very  spot.  Such  had 
been  the  aim  of  all  his  movements,  ever  since  a 
slight  increase  of  force  had  permitted  him  to  think 
of  any  other  thing  than  of  retiring  without  being 
destroyed  and  of  saving  the  magazines.  He  knew 
that  a  French  fleet  was  to  arrive  from  the  islands 
upon  the  American  coast.  His  principal  object  had 
been  to  force  Lord  Cornwallis  to  withdraw  towards 
the  sea-shore,  and  then  entangle  him  in  such  a 
manner  in  the  rivers,  that  there  should  remain  no 
possibility  of  a  retreat.  The  English,  on  the  contrary, 
fancied  themselves  in  a  very  good  position,  as  they 
were  possessors  of  a  sea-port  by  which  they  could 
receive  succours  from  New  York,  and  communicate 
with  the  different  parts  of  the  coast.  An  accidental, 
but  a  very  fortunate  circumstance,  increased  their 
security.  Whilst  Lafayette,  full  of  hope,  was  writ- 
ing to  General  Washington  that  he  foresaw  he  could 
push  Lord  Cornwallis  into  a  situation  in  which  it 

such  a  manner  as  to  appear  numerous,  he  returned  with  all 
possible  haste  ;  but  General  Wayne  had  yielded  to  the  tempta- 
tion. He  fortunately  perceived  his  error,  and  being  a  good 
and  brave  officer,  came  forward  with  much  gallantry ;  fortu- 
nately, also,  Lafayette  had  only  placed  the  Pennsylvanians  in 
advance,  and  had  left  the  light  infantry  in  a  situation  to  offer 
them  some  assistance.  The  first  half  of  his  continental  troops 
retired  upon  the  other  half,  and  the  whole  were  placed  in  such  a 
manner  that  Lord  Cornwallis  feared  an  ambuscade,  and  the 
more  so,  observes  Mr.  Marshall,  as  he  had  always  been  deceived 
as  to  the  real  force  of  Lafayette's  army — (Manuscript,  No.  2.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  267 

would  be  easy  for  him,  with  some  assistance  from 
the  navy,  to  cut  off  his  retreat,  the  general,  who 
had  always  thought  that  Lafayette  would  be  very 
fortunate  if  he  could  save  Virginia  without  being 
cut  up  himself,  spoke  to  him  of  his  project  of 
attack  against  New  York,  granting  him  permission 
to  come  and  take  part  in  it,  if  he  wished  it,  but  re- 
presenting how  useful  it  was  to  the  Virginian  army 
that  he  should  remain  at  its  head.  The  two  letters 
passed  each  other;  the  one  written  by  Lafayette 
arrived  safely,  and  Washington  prepared  beforehand 
to  take  advantage  of  the  situation  of  Lord  Cornwallis. 
Gen.  Washington's  letter  was  intercepted,  and  the 
English,  upon  seeing  that  confidential  communica- 
tion, never  doubted  for  amomentbut  the  real  intention 
of  the  Americans  was  to  attack  New  York  :  their 
own  security  at  Yorktown  was  therefore  complete.* 
The  Count  de  Grasse,  however,  arrived  with  a 
naval  force,  and  three  thousand  troops  f  for  the 


*  James  Moody  rendered  an  ill  service  to  those  who  em- 
ployed him,  by  seizing  the  letter-bag  in  the  Jerseys.  Among 
the  letters,  those  in  which  General  Washington  informed  La- 
fayette of  the  project  respecting  New  York,  contained  friendly 
and  confidential  communications,  written  in  the  General's  own 
hand,  which  could  not  leave  the  slightest  doubt  in  any  person's 
mind  :  they  may  be  found  in  the  publications  of  the  Generals 
Clinton  and  Cornwallis,  which  contain  also  Lafayette's  inter- 
cepted letters.  But  the  enemy  did  not  take  those  in  which 
General  Lafayette  gave  an  account  to  General  Washington  of 
his  manoeuvres,  of  his  hopes,  and  of  all  that  determined  the  corn- 
man  der-in -chief  to  adopt  the  project  on  Virginia,  nor  Wash- 
ington's answers  to  that  effect;  so  that  when  the  combined 
troops  made  their  first  march  towards  the  south,  General  Clin- 
ton still  remained  deceived,  owing  to  the  singular  chance  of  the 
capture  of  the  letter-bag  by  Moody. — (Manuscript,  No.  2.) 

f  The  entreaties  of  Count  de  Rochambeau  contributed  much 
towards  persuading  the  Count  de  Grasse  to  bring  his  whole  fleet, 
to  land  there  the  three  thousand  two  hundred  men,  who  joined,  on 


268  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

land  service.  He  was  met  at  the  landing  place  of 
Cape  Henry  by  Colonel  Gimat,  a  Frenchman  by 
birth,  commander  of  the  American  battalion,  who 
was  charged  with  despatches  from  Lafayette;  which 
explained  fully  to  the  admiral  his  own  military  po- 
sition, and  that  of  the  enemy,  and  conjured  him  to 
sail  immediately  into  the  Chesapeake ;  to  drive  the 
frigates  into  the  James  River,  that  the  passage 
might  be  kept  clear ;  to  blockade  the*  York  River  ; 
to  send  two  vessels  above  the  position  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  before  the  batteries  on  the  water-side,  at 
Yorktown  and  Gloucester  could  be  put  in  a  proper 
state.  The  Count  de  Grasse  adhered  to  these  pro- 
posals, with  the  exception  of  not  forcing  the  bat- 
teries with  two  vessels,  which  manoeuvre  would 
have  made  the  blockade  of  Cornwallis  by  the  land 
troops  still  more  easy  of  achievement.  The  Marquis 
de  St.  Simon  landed  with  three  thousand  men  at 
James  Island.  Lafayette  assembled  a  small  corps 
in  the  county  of  Gloucester,  led,  himself,  the  Ameri- 
can forces  on  Williamsburg,  where  he  was  met 
by  the  corps  of  the  Marquis  de  St.  Simon,  who 
came  to  range  themselves  under  his  orders,  so  that 
Lord  Cornwallis  found  himself  suddenly,  as  if  by 
enchantment,  blockaded  both  by  sea  and  land.  The 
combined  army,  under  the  orders  of  Lafayette,  was 
placed  in  an  excellent  situation  at  Williamsburg. 
It  was  impossible  to  arrive  there  except  by  two  dif- 


their  arrival,  the  army  of  Lafayette,  and  to  repair  immediately  to 
Cape  Henry,  in  Virginia.  This  is  one  more  obligation  which  the 
common  cause  of  the  allies  owes  to  General  Rochambeau,  who, 
from  his  talents,  experience,  moderation,  and  his  subordination 
to  the  general-in-chief,  respect  for  the  civil  power,  and  mainte- 
nance of  discipline,  proved  that  the  King  of  France  had  made 
an  excellent  choice  for  the  command  of  the  auxiliary  corps  sent 
to  the  United  States.  (Note  of  M.  de  Lafayette.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  269 

ficult  and  well-defended  passages.  Lord  Cornwallis 
presented  himself  before  them  in  the  hope  of  es- 
caping, by  making  a  forcible  attack  ;  but  having 
ascertained  the  impossibility  of  forcing  them,  he 
only  occupied  himself  with  finishing  speedily  the 
fortifications  of  Yorktown ;  his  hopes,  however,  de- 
clined, when  the  Count  de  Grasse,  having  only  left 
the  ships  necessary  for  the  blockade,  and  having 
gone  out  of  the  harbour  to  attack  Admiral  Graves, 
forced  the  English  to  retire-,  and  returned  to  his 
former  station  in  the  bay.  The  French  admiral 
was,  however,  impatient  to  return  to  the  islands  ; 
he  wished  that  Yorktown  should  be  taken  by  force  of 
arms.  The  Marquis  de  St.  Simon  was  of  the  same 
opinion  :  they  both  represented  strongly  to  Lafayette 
that  it  was  just,  after  such  a  long,  fatiguing,  and 
fortunate  campaign,  that  the  glory  of  making 
Cornwallis  lay  down  his  arms  should  belong  to 
him  who  had  reduced  him  to  that  situation.  The 
admiral  offered  to  send  to  the  attack  not  only  the 
garrisons  from  the  ships,  but  all  the  sailors  he 
should  ask  for.  Lafayette  was  deaf  to  this  pro- 
posal, and  answered,  that  General  Washington  and 
the  corps  of  General  Rochambeau  would  soon 
arrive,  and  that  it  was  far  better  to  hasten  their 
movements  than  act  without  them  ;  and,  by  making 
a  murderous  attack,  shed  a  great  deal  of  blood  from 
a  feeling  of  vanity  and  a  selfish  love  of  glory  $  that 
they  were  certain,  after  the  arrival  of  the  succours, 
of  taking  the  hostile  army  by  a  regular  attack,  and 
thus  spare  the  lives  of  the  soldiers  ;  which  a  good 
general  ought  always  to  respect  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, especially  in  a  country  where  it  was  so  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  others  to  replace  those  who  fell. 
General  Washington  and  Count  Rochambeau  were 
the  first  to  arrive  :  they  were  soon  followed  by  their 


270  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

troops ;  but,  at  the  same  moment,  the  Admiral  de 
Grasse  wrote  word  that  he  was  obliged  to  return  to 
the  islands.  The  whole  expedition  seemed  on  the 
point  of  failing,  and  General  Washington  begged 
Lafayette  to  go  on  board  the  admiral's  ship  in  the 
bay,  and  endeavour  to  persuade  him  to  change  his 
mind  :  he  succeeded,  and  the  siege  of  Yorktown 
was  begun.  The  Count  de  Rochambeau  commanded 
the  French,  including  the  corps  of  St  Simon ; 
the  Americans  were  divided  in  two  parts  ;  one, 
under  Major-general  Lincoln,  who  had  come  from 
the  north  with  some  troops  ;  the  other,  under  Ge- 
neral Lafayette,  who  had  been  joined  by  two  more 
battalions  of  light  infantry,  under  the  orders  of 
Colonel  Hamilton.  It  became  necessary  to  attack 
two  redoubts.  One  of  these  attacks  was  confided 
to  the  Baron  de  Viomenil,  the  other  to  General 
Lafayette.  The  former  had  expressed,  in  a  some- 
what boasting  manner,  the  idea  he  had  of  the  supe- 
riority of  the  French  in  an  attack  of  that  kind: 
Lafayette,  a  little  offended,  answered,  "  We  are  but 
young  soldiers,  and  we  have  but  one  sort  of  tactic 
on  such  occasions,  which  is,  to  discharge  our  mus- 
kets, and  push  on  straight  with  our  bayonets."  He 
led  on  the  American  troops,  of  whom  he  gave  the 
command  to  Colonel  Hamilton,  with  the  Colonels 
Laurens  and  Gimat  under  him.  The  American 
troops  took  the  redoubt  with  the  bayonet.  As  the 
firing  was  still  continued  on  the  French  side, 
Lafayette  sent  an  aide-de-camp  to  the  Baron  de 
Viomenil,  to  ask  whether  he  did  not  require  some 
succour  from  the  Americans  ;*  but  the  French  were 

*  The  French  were  much  struck  on  this  occasion  by  the 
extreme  coolness  of  one  of  the  officers  whom  Lafayette  sent  to 
the  Baron  de  Viomenil,  from  a  secret  feeling  of  pleasure,  per- 
haps, in  marking  how  much  the  present  comparison  stood  in 


1779,  1780,  1781.  271 

not  long  in  taking  possession  also  of  the  other  re- 
doubt, and  that  success  decided  soon  after  the  capi- 
tulation of  Lord  Cornwallis,  (19th  October,  1781.) 
Nor  must  the  mention  of  an  action  be  omitted  here 
which  was  honourable  to  the  humanity  of  the  Ame- 
ricans. The  English  had  disgraced  themselves 
several  times,  and  again  recently  at  New  London, 
by  the  murder  of  some  imprisoned  garrisons.  The 
detachment  of  Colonel  Hamilton  did  not  for  an  in- 
stant make  an  ill  use  of  their  victory ;  as  soon  as 
the  enemy  deposed  their  arms,  they  no  longer  re- 
ceived the  slightest  injury.  Colonel  Hamilton  dis- 
tinguished himself  very  much  in  that  attack.* 


favour  of  the  American  troops.  However  this  might  be,  Major 
Barber  received  a  contusion  in  his  side,  but  would  not  allow  his 
wound  to  be  dressed  until  he  had  executed  his  commission. 
— (Manuscript,  No.  2.) 

*  The  humanity  of  the  American  soldiers  in  that  assault  has 
been  attested  by  all  historians.  The  following  letter  must  be 
quoted : — 

TO   THE   EDITOR   OF    THE   EVENING   POST. 

New  York,  August  10,  1802. 

SIR, — Finding  that  a  story,  long  since  propagated,  under  cir- 
cumstances which  it  was  expected  would  soon  consign  it  to 
oblivion,  (and  by  which  I  have  been  complimented  at  the  ex- 
pense of  Generals  Washington  and  Lafayette,)  has  of  late  been 
revived,  and  has  acquired  a  degree  of  importance  by  being  re- 
peated in  different  publications,  as  well  in  Europe  as  America, 
it  becomes  a  duty  to  counteract  its  currency  and  influence  by 
an  explicit  disavowal. 

The  story  imports,  in  substance,  that  General  Lafayette,  with 
the  approbation  or  connivance  of  General  Washington,  ordered 
me,  as  the  officer  who  was  to  command  the  attack  on  a  British 
redoubt,  in  the  course  of  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  to  put  to  death 
all  those  of  the  enemy  wno  should  happen  to  be  taken  in  the 
redoubt,  and  that,  through  motives  of  humanity,  I  forbore  to 
execute  the  order. 

Positively,  and  unequivocally,   I  declare,  that  no  such    of 


272  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

Lord  Cornwallis  had  demanded,  in  the  capitula- 
tion, the  permission  of  marching  out  with  drums 
beating  and  colours  flying;  the  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau  and  the  French  officers  were  of  opinion  that 
this  request  ought  to  be  granted;  the  American 
generals  did  not  oppose  this  idea ;  Lafayette,  recol* 
lecting  that  the  same  enemy  had  required  General 
Lincoln,  at  the  capitulation  of  Charlestown,  to  furl 
the  American  colours  and  not  to  play  an  English 
march,  insisted  strongly  on  using  the  same  measures 
with  them  in  retaliation,  and  obtained  that  these 
two  precise  conditions  should  be  inserted  in  the 
capitulation.  Lord  Cornwallis  did  not  himself  file  out 
with  the  detachment.  The  Generals,  Washington, 
Rochambeau,  and  Lafayette,  sent  to  present  him  their 
compliments  by  their  aides-de-camp.  He  retained 
Lafayette's  aide-de-camp,  young  George  Washington, 

similar  order,  was  ever  by  me  received,  or  understood  to  have 
been  given,  nor  any  intimation  or  hint  resembling  it. 

It  is  needless  to  enter  into  an  explanation  of  some  occur- 
rences on  the  occasion  alluded  to,  which  may  be  conjectured  to 
have  given  rise  to  the  calumny.  It  is  enough  to  say,  that  they 
were  entirely  disconnected  with  any  act  of  either  of  the  generals 
who  have  been  accused. 

With  esteem,  I  am,  sir,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

A.  HAMILTON. 

The  circumstance  alluded  to  in  this  letter  has  been  related 
in  the  Life  of  Hamilton,  published  by  his  son.  A  short  time 
before  the  taking  of  Yorktown,  a  Colonel  Scammell,  surprised 
by  the  English  whilst  reconnoitring,  had  been  taken  prisoner 
and  dangerously  wounded.  When  the  redoubt  was  taken,  and 
Colonel  Campbell,  who  commanded,  advanced  to  give  him- 
self up,  a  captain,  who  had  served  under  Scammell,  seized  a 
bayonet,  and  was  on  the  point  of  striking  him;  Hamilton 
turned  aside  the  blow,  and  Campbell  exclaimed,  "  I  place  myself 
under  your  protection,"  and  was  made  prisoner  by  Laurens. 
(The  Life  of  A.  Hamilton,  vol.  i.,  chap.  14.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  273 

and  told  him  that  having  made  this  long  campaign 
against  General  Lafayette,  he  wished,  from  the 
value  he  annexed  to  that  general's  esteem,  to  give 
him  a  private  account  of  the  motives  which  had 
obliged  him  to  surrender.  He  told  him  several 
things  which  have  since  been  found  in  his  discus- 
sion with  General  Clinton.  Lafayette  went  the 
next  day  to  see  him.  "  I  know,"  said  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  "your  humanity  towards  prisoners,  and  I 
recommend  my  poor  army  to  you."  This  recom- 
mendation was  made  in  a  tone  which  implied  that 
in  Lafayette  alone  he  felt  real  confidence,  and 
placed  but  little  in  the  Americans.  Lafayette 
therefore  replied,  "  You  know,  my  lord,  that  the 
Americans  have  always  been  humane  towards 
imprisoned  armies ;"  in  allusion  to  the  taking  of 
General  Burgoyne  at  Saratoga.*  The  English 
army  was  in  fact  treated  with  every  possible  mark 
of  attention. 

Although  the  French  troops  held  in  every  respect 
the  place  of  auxiliary  troops,  yet  the  Americans 
always  yielded  them  every  preference  in  their  power 
relating  to  food  or  any  other  comfort.  It  is  a  sin- 
gular circumstance  that  when  the  troops  of  the 

*  Lord  Cornwallis  affected  being  indisposed,  in  order  that  he 
might  not  march  out  at  the  head  of  his  troops :  they  passed 
between  two  rows  of  the  American  and  French  army,  commanded 
by  General  O'Hara,  and  surrendered  their  arms  at  the  order  of 
General  Lincoln.  Each  of  the  generals,  Washington,  Rocham- 
beau,  and  Lafayette,  sent  an  aide-de-camp  to  offer  their  compli- 
ments to  Lord  Cornwallis.  He  retained  Lafayette's  aide-de-camp, 
Major  Washington,  the  nephew  of  General  Washington,  to  tell  him 
how  anxious  he  was  that  the  general  against  whom  he  had  made 
this  campaign  should  be  convinced  that  he  only  surrendered 
from  the  impossibility  of  defending  himself  any  longer.  The 
American,  French,  and  English  generals  visited  each  other, 
and  everything  passed  with  every  possible  mark  of  attention, 
VOL.  I.  T 


274  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS, 

Marquis  de  St.  Simon  joined  those  of  Lafayette, 
the  young  general,  although  a  Frenchman,  took 
upon  himself  to  order  that  no  flour  should  be  de- 
livered to  the  American  troops  until  the  French  had 
received  their  full  provision  for  three  days.  The 
Americans  had  therefore  seldom  any  thing  but  the 
flour  of  Indian  corn.  He  gave  the  horses  of  the 
gentlemen  of  that  country  to  the  French  hussars, 
and  the  superior  officers  themselves  were  obliged 
to  give  up  theirs :  yet  not  one  murmur  escaped  as 
to  that  preference,  which  the  Americans  felt  ought 
to  be  shewn  to  foreigners  who  came  from  su'ch  a 
distance  to  fight  in  their  cause.* 

The  news  of  the  capture  of  Yorktown  was 
carried  to  France  by  a  French  frigate,  who  made 
the  voyage  in  eighteen  days.  The  English  were 
thrown  into  consternation  at  that  news,  which  occa- 
sioned the  downfall  of  the  ministry  of  Lord  North. 
It  was  felt  in  London,  as  in  the  rest  of  all  Europe, 
that  the  decisive  check  the  English  had  received, 
had  completely  settled  the  final  issue  of  the  con- 
flict, and  from  that  period  nothing  was  thought  of 
but  to  acknowledge  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  on  favourable  terms  for  Great  Britain. 


especially  towards  Lord  Cornwallis,  one  of  the  moat  estimable 
men  of  England,  who  was  considered  their  best  general. 
O'Hara  having  said  one  day,  at  table,  to  the  French  generals, 
affecting  not  to  wish  to  be  overheard  by  Lafayette,  that  he 
considered  it  as  fortunate  not  to  have  been  taken  by  the  Ame- 
ricans alone,  "General  O'Hara,  probably," replied  Lafayette, 
"does  not  like  repetitions."  He  had,  in  fact,  been  taken  with 
Burgoyne,  and  has  since  been  taken  for  the  third  time  at  Tou- 
lon.— (Manuscript,  No.  2.) 

*  See  at  the  end  of  the  volume  a  precise  account  of  this 
whole  campaign  in  Virginia,  edited  by  M.  de  Lafayette — (Part, 
No.  1.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  275 

Generals  Washington  and  Lafayette  wished  to  take 
advantage  of  the  superiority  of  the  Count  de  Grasse 
in  order  to  attack  Charlestown,  and  the  English  who 
remained  in  the  southern  states.  Lafayette  was  to 
take  his  light  infantry,  as  well  as  the  corps  of  St. 
Simon,  and  land  on  the  Charlestown  side,  to  co- 
operate with  General  Greene,  who  still  commanded 
in  Carolina.  It  is  evident  that  this  project  would 
have  been  successful.  It  has  since  become  known 
that  Lord  Cornwallis,  when  he  saw  Lafayette  enter 
into  a  canoe  to  go  on  board  the  fleet  of  the  Count 
de  Grasse,  said  to  some  English  officers,  "  He  is 
going  to  decide  the  loss  of  Charlestown."  But  the 
admiral  refused  obstinately  to  make  any  operation 
upon  the  coast  of  North  America.* 

General  Lafayette  afterwards  repaired  to  con- 
gress. To  him,  who  was  then  but  four-and-twenty, 
the  happy  issue  of  that  campaign  was  as  flattering  a 


*  General  Lafayette  was  to  have  taken  two  thousand  Ame- 
ricans and  St.  Simon's  corps,  who,  landing  near  Charlestown, 
on  the  sea  side,  and  co-operating  with  the  troops  of  General 
Greene,  would  have  secured  the  capture  of  the  capital  of  Caro- 
lina, and  of  all  the  English  who  were  remaining  south  of  New 
York.  Lowering  their  demands,  they  then  requested  that 
Lafayette  should  take  the  five  thousand  men  who  were  at  Wil- 
mington, and  who  were  so  much  struck  by  the  dangers  they  had 
encountered,  that  they  did  not  retain  that  post.  At  length,  they 
contented  themselves  with  asking  the  admiral  to  conduct 
General  Wayne  and  his  detachment,  which  were  sent  to  reinforce 
Greene's  army.  He  would  not  do  so.  It  has  also  since  become 
known,  that  when  Lafayette,  returning  from  his  last  visit  to  the 
admiral,  landed  at  Yorktown,  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  was  still 
there,  said  to  his  officers,  u  I  lay  a  bet  that  he  has  been  making 
arrangements  for  our  ruin  at  Charlestown."  The  English 
acknowledged  that  the  expedition  could  not  fail ;  but  the  Count 
de  Grasse  did  not  think  he  ought  to  lose  more  time  upon  the 
North  American  coast,  before  returning  to  th*j  defence  of  the 
West  Indies. — (Manuscript,  No.  2.) 

T2 


276  HISTORICAL    MEMOIRS. 

success  as  it  had  been  decisive  to  the  American 
cause.  He  received  the  instructions  of  congress, 
in  relation  to  the  affairs  of  the  United  States  in 
Europe  ;  and  embarked  at  Boston  in  the  frigate  the 
Alliance.  He  reached  France  in  twenty-three  days. 
The  reception  he  met  with,  and  the  credit  he  en- 
joyed both  at  court  and  in  society  were  constantly 
and  usefully  employed  in  the  service  of  the  cause  he 
had  embraced. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 


1779—1781. 


TO  COUNT  DE  VERGENNES.* 

Paris,  24th  February,  1779. 

SIR, — A  desire  to  render  an  exact  obedience  to  the 
orders  of  the  king,  impels  me  to  take  the  liberty  of 
importuning  you  to  let  me  know  what  is  my  duty. 
The  prohibition  which  the  Marshal  de  Noailles  has 
put  upon  me,  makes  no  exception  as  to  one,  whom 
I  do  not  think,  nevertheless,  I  should  be  forbidden 
to  visit.  Dr.  Franklin  was  to  have  met  me  at  Ver- 
sailles this  morning,  if  I  had  been  there,  to  commu- 
nicate to  me  some  affairs  of  importance,  as  he  said. 
I  have  informed  him  of  the  cause  that  detained  me 
at  Paris ;  but  I  did  not  think  I  ought  to  refuse  an 
interview,  which  might  not  be  wholly  useless  to  the 
king's  interests.  He  is  coming  to-morrow  morning, 
and  I  trust  you  will  add  to  your  kindnesses  that  of 
directing  me  how  to  conduct  myself  in  this  matter. 

Suffer  me,  sir,  to  inform  you  that  I  have  heard  • 

*  During  this  period  of  three  years,  we  do  not  find,  as  in 
the  preceding  years,  a  great  number  of  family  letters  and  those 
of  friendship.  We  have  inserted  all  those  we  have  been  able  to 
discover.  In  amends,  more  than  two  hundred  political,  diplo- 
matic, or  military  letters,  are  in  our  hands.  We  do  not  publish 
a  third  of  them,  although  there  are  few  that  would  not  be  interest- 
ing to  the  historian  of  the  American  revolution.  We  again  re- 
peat, that  all  the  letters  to  Americans,  or  from  Americans,  were 
written  originally  in  English. 


278  CORRESPONDENCE* 

many  persons  speak  of  an  expedition,  somewhat 
resembling  the  one  proposed  by  congress.  I  flatter 
myself  I  am  too  well  known  by  you  to  have  it  sus- 
pected of  me,  that  any  tie  of  kindred  or  friendship 
could  make  me  forget  the  profound  secrecy  which 
is  due  to  affairs  of  state.  I  have  added  to  nature 
some  acquired  skill  in  this  particular.  My  sole 
reason  for  mentioning  the  subject,  therefore,  is  to 
add,  that  the  indiscretion  of  some  of  the  members 
of  congress,  and  the  number  of  officers  returning  from 
America,  will  always  spread  rumours,  which  it  will 
be  impossible  to  suppress.  Truth  cannot  remain 
hidden  but  by  being  buried  in  a  mass  of  false  reports. 
Hence,  caution  is  necessary  in  order  to  preserve  our 
secrets  from  all  the  inconveniences  to  which  they 
are  subject  in  America,  both  from  the  form  of  the 
government  and  from  the  character  of  some  of 
those  at  the  head  of  affairs.  I  have  the  honour  to 
be,  with  profound  respect,  &c. 


FROM    GENERAL  WASHINGTON    TO   THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp,  at  Middlebrook,  8th  March,  1779. 
MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — I  am  mortified  exceedingly, 
that  my  letter  from  Philadelphia,  with  the  several 
enclosures,  did  not  reach  Boston  before  your  de- 
parture from  that  port.  It  was  written  as  soon  as 
congress  had  come  to  a  decision  upon  the  several 
matters,  which  became  the  subject  of  the  president's 
letter  to  you,  and  was  committed  for  conveyance  to 

*  We  believe  this  letter  never  reached  M.  de  Lafayette. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  279 

the  messenger,  who  was  charged  with  his  despatches 
to  that  place. 

Monsieur  la  Colombe  did  me  the  honour  of  deli- 
vering to  me  your  favours,  and  will  probably  be  the 
bearer  of  my  thanks  for  the  affectionate  manner  in 
which  you  have  expressed 'your  sentiments  in  your 
last  adieu,  than  which  nothing  can  be  more  flattering 
and  pleasing ;  nor  is  there  anything  more  wished  for 
by  me,  than  opportunities  of  giving  substantial  proofs 
of  the  sincerity  of  my  attachment  and  affection. 

Nothing  of  importance  has  happened  since  you 
left  us,  except  the  enemy's  invasion  at  Georgia,  and 
possession  of  its  capital ;  which,  though  it  may  add 
something  to  their  supplies,  on  the  score  of  pro- 
visions, will  contribute  very  little  to  the  brilliancy 
of  their  arms,  for,  like  the  defenceless  island  of  St. 
Lucia,  it  only  required  the  appearance  of  force  to 
effect  the  conquest  of  it,  as  the  whole  militia  of  the 
state  did  not  exceed  twelve  hundred  men,  and  many 
of  them  disaffected.  General  Lincoln  is  assembling 
a  force  to  dispossess  them,  and  my  only  fear  is,  that 
he  will  precipitate  the  attempt  before  he  is  fully 
prepared  for  the  execution.  In  New  York  and  at 
Rhode  Island,  the  enemy  continued  quiet  till  the 
25th  ultimo,  when  an  attempt  was  made  by  them  to 
surprise  the  post  at  Elizabethtown  ;  but  failing 
therein,  and  finding  themselves  closely  pressed, 
and  in  danger  from  detachments  advancing  towards 
them  from  this  army,  they  retreated  precipitately 
through  a  marsh,  waist-deep  in  mud,  after  aban- 
doning all  their  plunder ;  but  not  before  they  had, 
according  to  their  wonted  custom,  set  fire  to  two  or 
three  houses.  The  regiment  of  Anspach,  and  some 
other  troops,  are  brought  from  Rhode  Island  to 
New  York. 


280  CORRESPONDENCE, 

We  are  happy  in  the  repeated  assurances  and 
proofs  of  the  friendship  of  our  great  and  good  ally, 
whom  we  hope  and  trust,  ere  this,  may  be  congra- 
tulated on  the  birth  of  a  prince,  and  on  the  joy 
which  the  nation  must  derive  from  an  instance  of 
royal  felicity.  We  also  flatter  ourselves,  that  before 
this  period  the  kings  of  Spain  and  the  two  Sicilies 
may  be  greeted  as  allies  of  the  United  States ;  and 
we  are  not  a  little  pleased  to  find,  from  good 
authority,  that  the  solicitations  and  offers  of  the 
Court  of  Great  Britain  to  the  Empress  of  Russia 
have  been  rejected ;  nor  are  we  to  be  displeased, 
that  overtures  from  the  city  of  Amsterdam,  for 
entering  into  a  commercial  connexion  with  us,  have 
been  made  in  such  open  and  pointed  terms.  Such 
favourable  sentiments,  in  so  many  powerful  princes 
and  states,  cannot  but  be  considered  in  a  very 
honourable,  interesting,  and  pleasing  point  of  view, 
by  all  those  who  have  struggled  with  difficulties  and 
misfortunes  to  maintain  the  rights,  and  secure  the 
liberties,  of  their  country.  But,  notwithstanding 
these  flattering  appearances,  the  British  king  and 
his  ministers  continue  to  threaten  us  with  war  and 
desolation.  A  few  months,  however,  must  decide 
whether  these  or  peace  is  to  take  place.  For  both 
we  will  prepare ;  and,  should  the  former  be  con- 
tinued, I  shall  not  despair  of  sharing  fresh  toils  and 
dangers  with  you  in  America ;  but  if  the  latter  suc- 
ceeds, I  can  entertain  little  hopes,  that  the  rural 
amusements  of  an  infant  world,  or  the  contracted 
stage  of  an  American  theatre,  can  withdraw  your 
attention  and  services  from  the  gaieties  of  a  court, 
and  the  active  part  you  will  more  than  probably  be 
called  upon  to  share  in  the  administration  of  your 
government.  The  soldier  will  then  be  transformed 


1779,  1780,  1781.  281 

into  the  statesman,  and  your  employment  in  this 
new  walk  of  life  will  afford  you  no  time  to  revisit 
this  continent,  or  think  of  friends  who  lament  your 
absence. 

The  American  troops  are  again  in  huts  ;  but  in  a 
more  agreeable  and  fertile  country,  than  they,  were 
in  last  winter  at  Valley  Forge  ;  and  they  are  better 
clad  and  more  healthy,  than  they  have  ever  been 
since  the  formation  of  the  army.  Mrs.  Washington 
is  now  with  me,  and  makes  a  cordial  tender  of  her 
regards  to  you ;  and  if  those  of  strangers  can  be 
offered  with  propriety,  and  will  be  acceptable,  we 
respectively  wish  to  have  them  conveyed  to  your 
amiable  lady.  We  hope  and  trust,  that  your  passage 
has  been  short,  agreeable,  and  safe,  and  that  you  are 
as  happy  as  the  smiles  of  a  gracious  Prince,  beloved 
wife,  warm  friends,  and  high  expectations,  can  make 
you.  I  have  now  complied  with  your  request  in 
writing  you  a  long  letter,  and  I  shall  only  add,  that, 
with  the  purest  sentiments  of  attachment,  and  the 
warmest  friendship  and  regard,  I  am,  my  dear  Mar- 
quis, your  most  affectionate  and  obliged,  &c. 

_P.S.  Harrison  and  Meade  are  in  Virginia.  All 
the  other  officers  of  my  staff  unite  most  cordially 
in  offering  you  their  sincere  compliments. 

10th  March,  1779. — I  have  this  moment  received 
the  letters  which  were  in  the  hands  of  Major  Nevill, 
accompanying  yours  of  the  7th  and  1 1th  of  January. 
The  Major  himself  has  not  yet  arrived  at  head 
quarters,  being,  as  I  am  told,  very  sick.  I  must 
again  thank  you,  my  dear  friend,  for  the  numerous 
sentiments  of  affection  which  breathe  so  conspi- 
cuously in  your  last  farewell,  and  to  assure  you  that 
I  shall  always  retain  a  warm  and  grateful  remem- 
brance of  it.  Major  Nevill  shall  have  my  con- 
sent to  repair  to  France,  if  his  health  permits  it, 


282  CORRESPONDENCE, 

and  if  the  sanction  of  congress  can  be  obtained,  to 
whom  all  applications  of  officers  for  leave  to  go  01 1 
of  the  United  States  are  referred. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Paris,  April  1st,  1779. 

SIR, — From  what  M.  de  Sartine  said  to  me,  1 
requested  M.  de  Chaumont  yesterday  to  send  for 
Captain  Jones,  and  although  the  place  of  his  present 
residence  be  unknown,  our  messenger  will  do  all 
that  can  be  done  to  bring  him  immediately  to  us. 
I  gave  him  an  urgent  letter  for  Jones,  and  as  Dr. 
Franklin  was  not  at  home,  I  left  one  also  for  him, 
in  which  I  expressed  our  desire  to  see  the  captain, 
rather  as  if  to  consult  him,  than  as  if  we  had  formed 
any  definite  project.  The  time  I  passed  with  M. 
de  Chaumont  enabled  me  to  discover  what  I  shall 
now  have  the  honour  of  relating  to  you.* 

*  In  the  previous  recital  a  few  words  have  been  said  re- 
lating to  this  armament.  Two  frigates,  bearing  the  American 
colours,  were  to  have  been  placed  under  the  orders  of  Paul 
Jones,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  was  to  command  the  small  army 
intended  to  descend  unexpectedly  upon  the  western  coast  of 
England,  and  to  ransack  Bristol,  Liverpool,  and  other  commer- 
cial towns,  for  the  advantage  of  the  American  finances.  But  this 
expedition  was  soon  considered  below  the  position  in  which  M. 
de  Lafayette  was  placed,  and  was  abandoned  for  the  plan  of  a 
descent  on  England,  which  was  to  be  executed  by  the  combined 
forces  of  France  and  Spain.  The  slowness  of  the  latter  power 
occasioned,  at  a  later  period,  the  failure  of  the  project ;  and 
the  only  result  it  produced  was  Paul  Jones's  expedition,  and  the 
conflict  between  the  Bonhomme  Richard  and  the  Serapis.  See 
farther  on  the  first  letters  to  congress  and  to  Washington. 
In  a  collection  of  Franklin's  private  letters,  there  is  also 
found  a  letter  relating  to  this  affair,  and  the  note  written  by 
M.  de  Lafayette  to  Paul  Jones  when  the  expedition  was  aban- 


1779,  1780,  1781. 

The  armament  of  the  Bonhomme  Richard  (the 
vessel  of  fifty  guns)  goes  on  as  slowly  as  possible. 
The  refusal  to  supply  what  is  wanted,  especially 
guns,  from  the  king's  magazines,  will  retard  the 
expedition  for  a  whole  month,  because  it  will  be  the 
same  for  all  the  other  ships.  The  only  way  to  ob- 
viate this  delay,  would  be  to  charge  one  man  with 
the  whole  armament,  and  to  send  him  to  the  ports 
with  orders  to  get  all  that  was  necessary. 

I  have  discovered  that  Jones  had  a  little  plan  for 
an  enterprise  formed  under  the  direction  of  M. 
Gamier,  and  in  which  M.  de  Chaumont  has  taken 
part.  The  manner  in  which  M.  de  Sartine  brought 
him  to  us,  was  by  making  M.  de  Chaumont  a  half 
confidant,  (the  most  dangerous  of  all  things,  because 
it  gives  information  without  binding  to  secrecy,)  and 
I  think  it  would  be  now  better  to  communicate  the 
secret  of  the  armament  without  betraying  that  of 
the  expedition,  and  desire  him  to  employ  all  his 
activity  in  completing  it.  The  other  person  need 
not,  in  that  case,  take  any  part  in  it,  and  according 
to  the  orders  received  from  M.  de  Sartine,  it  ap- 
peared to  me,  from  what  M.  de  Chaumont  said, 
that  the  Bonhomme  Richard,  and  other  vessels, 
if  required,  might  be  in  readiness  before  the  expira- 
tion of  three  weeks. 

I  intend  to  have  the  honour  of  paying  my  respects 
to  you  after  dinner  on  Saturday.  If  you  approve  of 
my  idea,  M.  de  Chaumont,  or  any  other  person 
you  may  prefer,  might  be  summoned  at  the  same 
time  ;  for  by  the  ordinary  method  this  business  will 
never  be  achieved.  I  hope  that,  in  consequence 
of  my  aversion  to  delays  in  military  affairs,  you,  will 

doned.  (A  Collection  of  the  Familiar  Letters  and  Miscellaneous 
Papers  of  B.  Franklin,  Boston,  1833.  Washington's  writings, Vol. 
vi.,  Appendix  viii.) 


284  CORRESPONDENCE, 

pardon  the  importunity  which  my  confidence  in 
you  has  inspired,  in  favour  of  a  project  of  which 
you  feel  the  importance. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  the  most  sincere 
respect  and  affection,  &c. 

Permit  me  to  confide  to  you,  also,  under  the  same 
secrecy,  my  fears  that  orders  have  not  yet  been  sent 
to  all  the  ports. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Paris,  April  26th,  1779. 

SIR, — Allow  me  the  honour  of  proposing  to  you 
a  plan,  the  success  of  which,  uncertain  as  it  now  is, 
will  depend  perhaps  upon  your  approbation.  As  your 
means  of  attack  or  defence  depend  on  our  maritime 
force,  would  it  not  be  doing  a  service  to  the  com- 
mon cause  to  increase  for  a  time  that  of  our  allies  ? 
To  purchase  vessels  would  be  too  expensive  for  a 
nation  so  destitute  of  money  ;  it  would  answer  all 
purposes  to  hire  them,  and  would  enable  us  to  make 
such  diversions,  or  to  undertake  such  operations,  as 
might  be  deemed  necessary. 

Do  you  not  think,  sir,  if  the  King  of  Sweden 
would  lend  to  America  four  ships  of  the  line,  with 
the  half  of  their  crews,  and  the  United  States  would 
engage  to  return  them  within  a  year  upon  certain 
conditions,  that  the  step  would  be  advantageous  for 
us  ?  The  vessels  might  come  to  us  under  the  Swe- 
dish flag.  France  need  not  be  implicated  at  all. 
We  could  supply  them  in  part,  provide  them  with 
officers  in  blue,  and  send  them  out  under  the  Ame- 
rican flag.  It  would  only  be  necessary  to  know, 
whether  France  would  engage  to  be  responsible  for 


1779,  1780,   1781.  285 

the  sum  requisite  for  the  hire,  and  would  help  to 
complete  the  equipment.  Even  if  the  first  part 
should  meet  with  obstacles,  the  government  might 
pledge  itself  only  in  case  it  should  exceed  my 
fortune. 

I  have  not  as  yet  spoken  to  Dr.  Franklin  about 
the  scheme,  but  I  have  sounded  the  Swedish  am- 
bassador on  the  subject,  much  to  my  satisfaction ; 
he  asked  me  for  a  letter,  directed  to  him,  which 
might  be  sent  to  his  king ;  and  since  I  saw  that 
this  important  project  might  result  in  something 
advantageous,  I  was  constrained  to  confide  it  to  you, 
and  ask  your  opinion.  The  Swedish  ambassador 
states  that  the  vessels  may  be  here  in  two  months 
and  a  half;  consequently,  including  the  rest  of  the 
fleet,  the  whole  might  be  at  sea  in  the  month  of 
August,  and  arrive  at  Rhode  Island,  Bermuda,  or 
somewhere  else  in  America,  in  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber, which  would  be  a  good  season. 

It  will  be  necessary  for  Dr.  Franklin  to  send  a 
trustworthy  man,  or,  what  would  be  better,  for  you 
to  send  one,  upon  whom  he  might  depend.  The 
proposed  engagement  requires  some  promise,  and 
especially  some  hopes,  of  commerce,  that  would  di- 
minish the  expense  which  must  be  incurred.  Inform 
me,  sir,  I  pray  you,  whether  this  little  romantic 
scheme  has  any  difficulties,  and  whether  I  am  to 
prosecute  or  resign  my  proposition. 

I  am,  &c. 

If,  whilst  we  are  arranging  the  negotiation  with 
Sweden,  the  contributions  of  England  should  yield 
us  anything,  I  might  then  recal  to  your  attention 
a  favourite  project  of  mine. 


288  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  CONGRESS. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

St.  Jean  d'Angely,  near  Rochfort,  June  12,  1779. 
SIR,  —  How  happy  I  shall  think  myself  whenever 
»  a  safe  opportunity  of  writing  to  congress  is  offered, 
I  cannot  in  any  way  better  express  than  in  remind- 
ing them  of  that  unbounded  affection  and  gratitude 
which  I  shall  ever  feel  for  them.  So  deeply  are 
those  sentiments  engraven  on  my  heart,  that  I  every 
day  lament  the  distance  which  separates  me  from 
them,  and  that  nothing  was  ever  so  warmly  and 
passionately  wished  for,  as  to  return  again  to  that 
country  of  which  I  shall  ever  consider  myself 
as  a  citizen  ;  there  is  no  pleasure  to  be  enjoyed 
which  could  equal  this,  of  finding  myself  among 
that  free  and  liberal  nation,  by  whose  affection  and 
confidence  I  am  so  highly  honoured  ;  to  fight  again 
with  those  brother  soldiers  of  mine  to  whom  I  am 
so  much  indebted.  But  congress  knows  that 
former  plans  have  been  altered  by  themselves,  that 
others  have  been  thought  impossible,  as  they  were 
asked  too  late  in  the  year.*  I  will  therefore  make 
use  of  the  leave  of  absence  they  were  pleased  to 
grant  me,  and  serve  the  common  cause  among  my 
countrymen,  their  allies,  until  happy  circumstances 
may  conduct  me  to  the  American  shores,  in  such  a 
way  as  would  make  that  return  more  useful  to  the 
United  States.  The  affairs  of  America  I  shall  ever 
look  upon  as  my  first  business  whilst  I  am  in 
Europe.  Any  confidence  from  the  king  and  minis- 
ters, any  popularity  I  may  have  among  my  own 

*  This   relates  to  the  project  of  an  expedition  to   Canada, 
and  other  plans  of  the  same  kind. 


1>79,  1780,  1781.  287 

countrymen,  any  means  in  my  power,  shall  be,  to 
the  best  of  my  skill,  and  till  the  end  of  my  life, 
exerted  in  behalf  of  an  interest  I  have  so  much  at 
heart.  What  I  have  hitherto  done  or  said  relating 
to  America,  I  think  needless  to  mention,  as  my 
ardent  zeal  for  her  is,  I  hope,  well  known  to  con- 
gress ;  but  I  wish  to  let  them  know  that  if,  in  my 
proposals,  and  in  my  repeated  urgent  representa- 
tion for  getting  ships,  money,  and  support  of  any 
kind,  I  have  not  always  found  the  ministry  so 
much  in  earnest  as  I  was  myself,  they  only 
opposed  to  me  natural  fears  of  inconveniences 
which  might  arise  to  both  countries,  or  the  con- 
viction that  such  a  thing  was  impossible  for  the 
present ;  but  I  never  could  question  their  good 
will  towards  America.  If  congress  believe  that  my 
influence  may  serve  them,  in  any  way,  I  beg  they 
will  direct  such  orders  to  me,  that  I  may  the  more 
certainly  and  properly  employ  the  knowledge  I 
have  of  this  court  and  country  for  obtaining  a 
success  in  which  my  heart  is  so  much  interested. 
.  His  excellency,  Doctor  Franklin,  will,  no  doubt, 
inform  you,  sir,  of  the  situation  of  Europe,  and  the 
respective  state  of  our  affairs.  The  Chevalier  de  la 
Luzerne  will  also  add  thereto  the  intelligence  which 
will  be  intrusted  to  him  at  the  time  of  his  departure. 
By  the  doctor  you  will  learn  what  has  been  said  or 
thought  on  account  of  finances .  Germany,  Prussia, 
Turkey,  and  Russia,  have  made  such  a  peace  as  the 
French  have  desired.  All  the  northern  kingdoms, 
the  Dutch  themselves,  seem  rather  disgusted  with 
English  pride  and  vexations  ;  they  put  themselves 
in  a  situation  to  protect  their  trade  of  every  kind 
with  France.  Irish  intelligence  you  will  be  fully 
and  particularly  acquainted  of.  What  concerns 
Spain  will  also  be  laid  before  you  ;  so  that  I  have 


288  CORRESPONDENCE, 

nothing  to  add  but  to  tell  you  that  our  affairs  seem 
going  very  fast  towards  a  speedy  and  honourable 
end.  England  is  now  making  her  last  effort,  and  I 
hope  that  a  great  stroke  will,  before  long,  abate  their 
fantastic,  swollen  appearance,  and  shew  the  narrow 
bounds  of  their  actual  power. 

Since  we  have  taken  Senegal  I  don't  know  of 
any  military  event  which  I  can  mention.  There 
has  been  a  privateering  expedition  against  Jersey 
Island,  which  has  been  stopped  by  the  difficulty  of 
getting  ashore.  That  little  attempt,  made  by  some 
few  private  volunteers,  England  honoured  with  the 
name  of  a  public  French  expedition,  and  very 
unwisely  employed  there  Admiral  Arbuthnot,  which 
will  interpose  a  great  delay  to  his  reported  departure. 
Congress  will  hear  of  an  expedition  against  our 
friends  of  Liverpool  and  other  parts  of  the  English 
coast ;  to  show  there  French  troops  under  American 
colours,  which  on  account  of  raising  contributions, 
my  concern  for  American  finances  had  at  length 
brought  into  my  head.  But  the  plan  was  after- 
wards reduced  to  so  small  a  scale  that  they  thought 
the  command  would  not  suit  me,  and  the  ex- 
pedition itself  has  been  delayed  until  more  im- 
portant operations  take  place.  There  I  hope  to  be 
employed,  and  if  anything  important  should  be  the 
matter,  I  shall,  as  a  faithful  American  officer,  give 
an  accurate  account  thereof  to  congress  and  General 
Washington. 

The  so  flattering  affection  which  congress  and  the 
American  nation  are  pleased  to  honour  me  with, 
makes  me  very  desirous  of  letting  them  know,  if  I 
dare  speak  so  friendly,  how  I  enjoyed  my  private  si- 
tuation. Happy,  in  the  sight  of  my  friends  and  family, 
after  I  was,  by  your  attentive  goodness,  safely 
brought  again  to  my  native  shore,  I  met  there  with 


1779,  1780,  1781.  289 

such  an  honourable  reception,  with  such  kind 
sentiments,  as  by  far  exceeded  any  wishes  I  durst 
have  conceived  ;  I  am  indebted  for  that  inexpres- 
sible satisfaction  which  the  good  will  of  my  coun- 
trymen towards  me  affords  to  my  heart,  to  their 
ardent  love  for  America,  to  the  cause  of  freedom 
and  its  defenders,  their  new  allies,  and  to  the  idea 
they  entertain  that  I  have  had  the  happiness  to  serve 
the  United  States.  To  these  motives,  sir,  and  to 
the  letter  congress  was  pleased  to  write  on  my 
account,  I  owe  the  many  favours  the  king  has  con- 
ferred upon  me  ;  there  was  no  time  lost  in  appoint- 
ing me  to  the  command  of  his  own  regiment  of 
dragoons,  and  every  thing  he  could  have  done,  every 
thing  I  could  have  wished,  I  have  received  on 
account  of  your  kind  recommendations. 

I  have  been  some  days  in  this  small  town,  near 
Rochefort  harbour,  where  I  have  joined  the  king's 
regiment,  and  where  other  troops  are  stationed  which 
I  for  the  moment  command ;  but  I  hope  to  leave 
this  place  before  long,  in  order  to  play  a  more  active 
part  and  come  nearer  the  common  enemy.  Before 
my  departure  from  Paris  I  sent  to  the  minister  of 
foreign  affairs,  (who,  by  the  bye,  is  one  of  our  best 
friends,)  intelligence  concerning  a  loan  in  Holland, 
which  I  want  France  to  make  or  answer  for  in 
behalf  of  America ;  but  I  have  not  yet  heard  any 
thing  on  that  head.  M.  le  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne 
will  give  you  more  explicit  and  fresher  news,  as  he 
is  particularly  ordered  to  do  so,  and  he  sets  out  di- 
rectly from  Versailles.  That  new  minister  plenipo- 
tentiary I  beg  leave  to  recommend  most  earnestly  to 
congress,  not  only  as  a  public  man,  but  also  as  a  pri- 
vate gentleman.  From  the  acquaintance  I  have  made 
with  him,  I  conceive  he  is  a  sensible,  modest,  well- 
meaning  man  ;  a  man  truly  worthy  of  enjoying  the 

VOL.  i.  u 


^90  CORRESPONDENCE, 

spectacle  of  American  freedom.  I  hope  that  hy  his 
good  qualities  and  his  talents,  he  will  obtain  both 
public  confidence  and  private  friendship. 

Wherever  the  interests  of 'beloved  friends  are 
seriously  concerned,  candid  and  warm  affection 
knows  not  how  to  calculate,  and  throws  away  all 
considerations.  I  will  frankly  tell  you,  sir,  that 
nothing  can  more  effectually  hurt  our  interests, 
consequence,  and  reputation,  in  Europe,  than  to 
hear  of  disputes  or  divisions  between  the  whigs. 
Nothing  could  urge  my  touching  upon  this  delicate 
matter  but  the  unhappy  experience  of  every  day 
on  that  head,  since  I  can  hear,  myself,  what  is  said 
on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  the  arguments  I 
have  to  combat  with. 

Let  me,  sir,  finish  this  long  letter,  by  begging 
you  will  present  once  more  to  the  congress  of  the 
llnited  States,  the  tribute  of  an  unbounded  zeal 
and  affection,  of  the  highest  respect  and  most  sin- 
cere gratitude,  with  which  I  shall  be  animated,  till 
the  last  moment  of  my  life. 

With  the  most,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

St.  Jean  d'Angely,  near  Rochefort  harbour,  June  12, 1779. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Here  is  at  length  a  safe  op- 
portunity of  writing  to  you,  and  I  may  tell  you  what 
sincere  concern  I  feel  at  our  separation.  There  never 
was  a  friend,  my  dear  general,  so  much,  so  ten- 
derly beloved,  as  I  love  and  respect  you :  happy 
in  our  union,  in  the  pleasure  of  living  near  to  you, 
in  the  pleasing  satisfaction  of  partaking  every  sen- 


1779,  1780,  1781.  291 

tlttlent  of  your  heart,  every  event  of  your  life,  I  have 
taken  such  a  habit  of  being  inseparable  from  you, 
that  I  cannot  now  accustom  myself  to  your  absence, 
and  I  am  more  and  more  afflicted  at  that  enormous 
distance  which  keeps  me  so  far  from  my  dearest 
friend.  I  am  the  more  concerned  at  this  par- 
ticular time,  my  dear  general,  as  I  think  the  cam- 
paign is  opened,  you  are  in  the  field,  and  I  ardently 
wish  I  might  be  near  you  ;  and,  if  possible, 
contribute  to  your  success  and  glory.  Forgive  me 
for  what  I  am  going  to  say,  but  I  cannot  help  re- 
minding you  that  a  commander-in-chief  should 
never  expose  himself  too  much  j  that  in  case 
General  Washington  was  killed,  nay,  even  seriously 
wounded,  there  is  no  officer  in  the  army  who  could 
fill  his  place,  every  battle  would  most  certainly  be 
lost,  and  the  American  army,  the  American  cause 
itself,  would,  perhaps,  be  entirely  ruined. 

Inclosed  I  send  your  excellency  a  copy  of  my  letter 
to  congress,  in  which  you  will  find  such  intelligence 
as  I  was  able  to  give  them.  The  Chevalier  de  la  Lu- 
zerne  intends  going  to  congress  by  passing  through 
head  quarters*  I  promised  I  would  introduce  him  to 
your  excellency,  and  I  have  requested  him  to  let  you 
know  of  any  news  he  may  have  been  entrusted  with. 
Such  a  conversation  will  better  acquaint  you  than 
the  longest  letter.  The  ministry  told  me  they  would 
let  him  know  the  true  state  of  affairs  before  his  de- 
parture. By  what  you  will  hear,  my  dear  general,  you 
will  see  that  our  affairs  take  a  good  turn,  and  I  hope 
England  will  receive  a  good  stroke  before  the  end 
of  the  campaign.  Besides  the  good  dispositions  of 
Spain,  Ireland  is  a  good  deal  tired  of  English  tyranny. 
I,  in  confidence,  tell  you  that  the  scheme  of  my  heart 
would  be  to  make  her  as  free  and  independent  as 

u  2 


292  CORRESPONDENCE, 

America.  I  have  formed  some  private  relations 
there.  God  grant  that  we  may  succeed,  and  the 
era  of  freedom  at  length  arrive  for  the  happiness 
of  mankind.  I  shall  know  more  about  Ireland  in 
a  few  weeks,  and  then  I  will  immediately  communi- 
cate with  your  excellency.  As  to  congress,  my  dear 
general,  it  is  too  numerous  a  body  for  one  safely 
to  unbosom  oneself,  as  with  one's  best  friend. 

In  referring  you  to  M.  le  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne, 
for  what  concerns  the  public  news  of  this  time,  the 
present  situation  of  affairs,  and  the  designs  of  our 
ministry,  I  will  only  speak  to  your  excellency  about 
that  great  article,  money.  It  gave  me  much  trouble, 
and  I  insisted  upon  it  so  much,  that  the  director  of 
finances  looks  upon  me  as  a  devil.  France  has  met 
great  expenses  lately ;  those  Spaniards  will  not  give 
their  dollars  easily.  However,  Dr.  Franklin  has 
got  some  money  to  pay  the  bills  of  congress,  and 
I  hope  I  shall  determine  them  to  greater  sacri- 
fices. Serving  America,  my  dear  general,  is  to  my 
heart  an  inexpressible  happiness. 

There  is  another  point  for  which  you  should  em- 
ploy all  your  influence  and  popularity.  For  God's 
sake  prevent  their  loudly  disputing  together. 
Nothing  hurts  so  much  the  interest  and  reputation 
of  America,  as  to  hear  of  their  intestine  quarrels. 
On  the  other  hand  there  are  two  parties  in  France  : 
MM.  Adams  and  Lee  on  one  part,  Doctor  Frank- 
lin and  his  friends  on  the  other.  So  great  is  the 
concern  which  these  divisions  give  me,  that  I  cannot 
wait  on  these  gentlemen  as. much  as  I  could  wish, 
for  fear  of  occasioning  disputes  and  bringing  them 
to  a  greater  collision.  That,  my  dear  general,  I  in- 
trust to  your  friendship,  but  I  could  not  help  touch- 
ing upon  that  string  in  my  letter  to  congress. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  293 

Since  I  left  America,  my  dear  General,  not  a 
single  line  has  arrived  from  you  ;*  this  I  attribute  to 
winds,  accidents,  and  deficiency  of  opportunities ; 
for  I  dare  flatter  myself  General  Washington  would 
not  lose  that  of  making  his  friend  happy.  In  the 
name  of  that  very  friendship,  my  dear  general,  never 
miss  any  opportunity  of  letting  me  know  how  you 
do.  I  cannot  express  to  you  how  uneasy  I  feel 
on  account  of  your  health,  and  the  dangers  you 
are,  perhaps  at  this  moment,  exposing  yourself 
to.  These  you  may  possibly  laugh  at,  and  call  wo- 
manlike considerations ;  but  so,  my  dear  friend,  I 
feel,  and  I  never  could  conceal  the  sentiments  of 
my  heart. 

I  don't  know  what  has  become  of  Colonel  Nevill 
and  the  Chevalier  de  la  Colombe.  I  beg  you 
will  make  some  inquiries  respecting  them,  and  do 
every  thing  in  your  power  for  their  speedy  exchange, 
in  case  they  have  been  taken.  Inclosed  I  send 
you  a  small  note  for  Mr.  Nevill.  Give  me  leave 
to  recommend  to  your  excellency  our  new  pleni- 
potentiary minister,  who  seems  to  me  extremely 
well  calculated  for  deserving  general  esteem  and 
affection. 

I  know,  my  dear  general,  you  wish  to  hear  some- 
thing about  my  private  affairs  :  these  I  give  an  ac- 
count of  to  congress,  and  shall  only  add  that  I  am  here 
as  happy  as  possible.  My  family,  my  friends,  my 
countrymen,  made  me  such  a  reception,  and  shewed 
me  every  day  such  an  affection,  as  I  should  not  have 
dared  to  hope.  I  have  been  for  some  days  in  this  place, 

*  This  conjecture  was  a  just  one:  by  the  correspondence  of 
General  Washington,  who  kept  copies  of  all  his  letters,  we  per- 
ceive that  he  often  wrote  to  M.  de  Lafayette,  whose  letters,  on 
the  contrary,  during  this  voyage,  consist  but  of  two,  because  we 
have  been  able  to  find  only  those  that  arrived  in  America. 


294  CORRESPONDENCE, 

where  there  is  the  king's  own  regiment  of  dragoons, 
which  I  command,  and  some  regiments  of  infantry, 
which  are,  for  the  present,  under  my  orders  ;  hut  I 
hope  soon  to  begin  a  more  active  life,  and  in  con- 
sequence thereof  my  return  to  Paris  is,  I  believe,  very 
near  at  hand ;  from  thence  I  shall  get  employed  in 
whatever  may  be  done  against  the  common  enemy. 
What  I  wish,  niy  dear  general,  what  would  make  me 
the  happiest  of  men,  is  to  join  again  American  colours, 
or  to  put  under  your  orders  a  division  of  four  or  five 
thousand  countrymen  of  mine.  In  case  any  such 
co-operation  or  private  expedition  should  be  de- 
sired, I  think  (if  peace  is  not  settled  this  winter) 
that  an  early  demand  might  be  complied  with  for 
the  next  campaign. 

Our  ministry  is  rather  slow  in  their  operations, 
and  have  a  great  propensity  for  peace,  provided  it  he 
an  honourable  one,  so  that  I  think  America  must 
shew  herself  in  good  earnest  for  war  till  such  con- 
ditions are  obtained.  American  independence  is  a 
certain,  undoubted  point,  but  I  wish  to  see  that  in- 
dependence acknowledged  with  advantageous  con- 
ditions. This,  my  dear  general,  is  between  us  ;  as  for 
what  concerns  the  good  will  of  the  king,  of  the  minis- 
ters, of  the  public,  towards  America,  I,  an  American 
citizen,  am  fully  satisfied  with  it ;  and  I  am  sure  the 
alliance  and  friendship  between  both  nations  will  be 
established  in  such  a  way  as  will  last  for  ever. 

Be  so  kind,  my  dear  general,  as  to  present  my 
best  respects  to  your  lady,  and  tell  her  how  happy 
I  should  feel  to  present  them  myself  to  her  at  her 
own  house.  I  have  a  wife,  my  dear  general,  who  is  in 
love  with  you,  and  her  affection  for  you  seems  to  me 
to  be  so  well  justified  that  I  cannot  oppose  myself  to 
that  sentiment  of  hers.  She  begs  you  will  receive 
her  compliments  and  make  them  acceptable  to  Mrs. 


1779.  1780,  1781.  295 

Washington.  I  hope,  my  dear  general,  you  will 
come  to  see  us  in  Europe,  and  most  certainly  I  give 
you  my  word  that  if  I  am  not  happy  enough  to 
be  sent  to  America  before  the  peace,  I  shall  by  all 
means  go  there  as  soon  as  I  can  escape.  I  must 
not  forget  to  tell  you,  my  dear  friend,  that  I  have 
the  hope  of  being  soon  once  more  a  father. 

All  Europe  wants  to  see  you  so  much,  my  dear 
general,  that  you  cannot  refuse  them  that  pleasure. 
I  have  boldly  affirmed  that  you  will  pay  me  a  visit 
after  the  peace  is  settled,  so  that  if  you  deny  me, 
you  will  hurt  your  friend's  reputation  throughout 
the  world. 

I  beg  you  will  present  my  best  compliments  to 
your  family,  and  remind  them  of  my  tender  affection 
for  them  all.  Be  so  kind,  also,  to  present  my  com- 
pliments to  the  general  officers,  to  all  the  officers  of 
the  army,  to  every  one,  from  the  first  major-general 
to  the  last  soldier. 

I  most  earnestly  entreat  you,  my  dear  general,  to 
let  me  hear  from  you.  Write  me  how  you  do,  how 
things  are  going  on.  The  minutest  detail  will  be  in- 
finitely interesting  to  me.  Don't  forget  anything 
concerning  yourself,  and  be  certain  that  any  little 
event  or  observation  concerning  you,  however 
trifling  it  may  appear,  will  have  my  warmest  atten- 
tion and  interest.  Adieu,  my  dear  general,  I  cannot 
lay  down  the  pen,  and  I  enjoy  the  greatest  pleasure 
in  scribbling  you  this  long  letter.  Don't  forget  me, 
my  dear  general ;  be  ever  as  affectionate  to  me  as 
you  have  been  ;  these  sentiments  I  deserve  from  the 
ardent  ones  which  fill  my  heart.  With  the  highest 
respect,  with  the  most  sincere  and  tender  friendship 
that  ever  human  heart  has  felt,  I  have  the  honour 
to  be,  &c. 


296 

For  God's  sake  write  me  frequent  and  long  letters, 
and  speak  chiefly  about  yourself  and  your  private 
circumstances. 

St.  Jean,  d'Angely,  13th  June,  1779. 

I  HAVE  just  received,  my  dear  general,  an  express 
from  court,  with  orders  to  repair  immediately  to  Ver- 
sailles. There  I  am  to  meet  M.  le  Comte  de  Vaux, 
Lieutenant-General,  who  is  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  troops  intended  for  an  expedition.  In 
that  army  I  shall  be  employed  in  the  capacity  of  aide- 
mare'chai-general  des  logis,  which  is,  in  our  service, 
a  very  important  and  agreeable  place  ;  so  that  I 
shall  serve  in  the  most  pleasing  manner,  and  shall  be 
in  a  situation  to  know  everything  and  to  render 
services.  The  necessity  of  setting  off  immediately 
prevents  my  writing  to  General  Greene,  to  the  gen- 
tlemen of  your  family,  and  other  friends  of  mine  in 
the  army,  whom  I  beg  to  accept  my  excuses  on  ac- 
count of  this  order,  which  I  did  not  expect  so  soon. 
Everything  that  happens  you  shall  most  certainly 
be  acquainted  of  by  me,  and  I  will  for  the  moment 
finish  my  letter  in  assuring  your  excellency  again  of 
my  profound  respect  and  tenderest  friendship. 
Farewell,  my  dear  general,  and  let  our  mutual 
affection  last  for  ever. 


TO  THE  COUNT  DE  VERGENNES. 

Havre,  30th  July,  1779. 

SIR, — I  have  received  the  letter  which  you  have 
had  the  goodness  to  write  to  me,  and  in  which  you 
promise  me  another  after  having  read  to  M.  de 


1779,  1780,  1781.  297 

Maurepas  the  paper  which  I  addressed  to  you.* 
It  is  shewing  me  a  great  favour  to  employ,  in 
answering  me,  a  part  of  your  time,  which  is  so 
precious  ;  and  I  remain  in  eager  expectation  of  your 
second  letter.  Being  convinced  that  there  is  no 
time  to  lose  in  adopting  the  measures  which  I  pro- 
pose, my  love  for  my  country  makes  me  feel  an 
impatience,  which  I  fear  may  pass  for  importunity ; 
but  you  will  excuse  a  fault  arising  from  a  feeling 
which  is  dear  to  every  good  citizen. 

The  Prince  de  Montbarrey  will  give  you,  with 
regard  to  Havre,  ah1  the  information  you  may  desire. 
You  are  certainly  right  in  saying  that  my  blood  is 
in  fermentation.  We  hear  nothing  of  M.  d'Orvil- 
liers.  Some  say  that  he  has  gone  to  the  Azores,  to 
intercept  the  West  Indian  fleet,  and  to  join  M. 
d'Estaing,  who  was  to  return  here,  as  I  was  informed 
by  yourself  and  M.  de  Sartine ;  others  affirm  that 
he  has  gone  to  America. 

The  latter  reasoning  does  not  bring  me  to  their 
opinion ;  and  it  is  very  probable  that  if  our  fleet  had 
been  sent,  as  they  suppose,  I  should  not  now  be  in 
Normandy.  Be  that  as  it  may,  you  know,  I  hope  that 
any  arrangement,  and  any  station,  will  satisfy  me, 
and  that  I  do  not  claim  promotion,  or  assistance,  or 
any  mark  of  favour  whatsoever.  If  M.  d'Orvilliers, 
or  a  detachment,  is  now  in  the  independent  states  of 
America,  and  my  presence  there  can  be  in  any  way 
more  serviceable  than  here,  I  shall  be  very  willing 
to  go  over  in  an  American  frigate,  which  I  will  take 
on  my  own  authority ;  and  with  the  very  natural 
pretext  of  rejoining  the  army  in  which  I  served,  I 


*  This  letter,  in  the  form  of  a  memorial,  and  containing  the 
plan  of  an  expedition  to  America,  has  been  placed  at  the  end  of 
the  volume. — (See  Appendix  2.) 


298  CORRESPONDENCE, 

will  go  and  endeavour  to  use  my  influence  for  the 
advantage  of  my  country.  Several  persons  say, 
also,  that  Spanish  dollars  have  been  sent  to  the 
Americans ;  I  earnestly  hope  it  is  so,  as  my  last 
advices  shew  the  necessity  for  them. 

If  the  project,  for  want  of  sufficient  means,  should 
not  be  adopted  this  year,  I  deem  it  my  duty  to  sub- 
mit to  you  a  proposition  which  would  in  a  great 
measure  accomplish  the  same  object. 

While  waiting  until  next  year  to  commence  com- 
bined operations  with  a  squadron,  why  might  you 
not  send  to  Boston  three  thousand,  or  even  two 
thousand  men,  with  three  hundred  dragoons,  who 
should  be  joined  in  the  spring  by  ships  of  war 
and  a  reinforcement  of  troops  ?  This  detachment 
could  be  sent  by  two  fifty  gun  ships,  using  one  of 
the  India  Company's  ships  for  a  transport,  or 
Spanish  vessels,  if  you  prefer  them.  To  avoid  ex- 
pense, let  them  sail  in  company  with  the  ships 
destined  for  the  West  Indies,  with  the  escort  of  the 
merchantmen,  with  the  Bonhomme  Richard,  and 
all  the  frigates  at  Lorient.  These  troops  will 
be  left  in  America  until  the  next  campaign,  and  I 
will  now  mention  what  would  be  the  result  of  such  a 
measure  ;  it  being  well  understood  that  the  convoy 
would  proceed  to  the  West  Indies,  or  to  any  other 
destination,  after  having  landed  the  detachment. 
First,  we  should  raise  by  our  presence  the  value  of 
their  paper  money,  an  important  point  for  French 
commerce  ;  secondly,  we  should  be  at  hand  to  ob- 
tain information,  and  might  take  such  preliminary 
steps  as  would  conduce,  eventually,  to  our  obtaining 
possession  of  Halifax ;  thirdly,  such  a  detachment 
would  inspire  the  American  army  with  new  vigour, 
would  powerfully  support  an  attack  for  retaking 
the  forts  on  the  north  river,  and  would  lead  the 


1779,  1780,  1781.  299 

Americans  to  such  undertakings  as  circumstances 
might  render  advisable. 

You  have  told  me  to  give  you  all  my  ideas.  It 
is  my  duty  to  submit  to  you  this  last  one,  which, 
as  it  seems  to  me,  is  not  liable  to  any  objection. 
At  first,  I  was  afraid  of  expressing  my  opinion  so 
strongly  as  I  was  inclined  to  do,  lest  I  should  be 
suspected  of  peculiar  motives  and  predilections ; 
but,  now  that  people  must  know  me  better,  and 
that  you  have  my  entire  confidence,  I  speak  more 
freely,  and  I  solemnly  affirm,  upon  my  honour,  that 
if  half  my  fortune  was  spent  in  sending  succours  of 
troops  to  the  Americans,  I  should  believe  that,  in  so 
doing,  I  rendered  to  my  country  a  service  more  im- 
portant than  this  sacrifice. 

You  will  say,  perhaps,  that  it  will  be  difficult  to 
find  subsistence  for  the  troops  during  the  winter ; 
but  in  paying  in  specie,  we  should  obtain  provisions 
very  cheap,  and  the  additional  number  of  mouths 
would  be  very  small  in  comparison  to  the  popula- 
tion of  the  country. 

Permit  me,  sir,  to  offer  you  the  assurance  of  my 
attachment, 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Paris,  Monday  morning,  August,  1779. 
IT  is  not,  sir,  to  the  king's  minister  that  I  am  now 
writing,  but  my  confidence  in  your  kindness 
makes  me  hope  that  I  am  addressing  a  man  whom 
I  may  safely  call  my  friend,  to  whom  I  am  merely 
giving  an  account  of  all  that  is  most  interesting  to 
me.  You  may  confer  a  great  obligation  upon  me, 
(and  render  one  perhaps  to  the  public,)  by  employ- 


300  CORRESPONDENCE, 

ing  in  a  less  useless  manner  the  few  talents  a  soldier 
may  possess,  who  has  been  hitherto  rather  fortunate 
in  war,  and  who  supplies  his  want  of  knowledge  by 
the  purest  ardour  in  the  cause. 

I  have  seen  the  Comte  de  Maurepas,  and  I  told 
him  what  I  have  the  honour  of  communicating  to 
you  ;  he  would  not  agree  to  the  projects  in  question, 
and  was  doubtless  right,  although  my  own  opinion 
remains  unchanged  ;  but  he  thinks  that  I,  who  was 
one  of  the  first  to  speak  of  the  expedition  with 
fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  men,  must  now 
command  six  hundred  hussars,  and  that  this  change 
would  be  injurious  to  me.  He,  perhaps,  imagined, 
as  some  others  have  done,  from  kindness  towards 
me,  that  such  a  command  would  be  beneath  me. 
I  ought  not,  besides,  he  added,  to  exchange  a  cer- 
tainty for  an  uncertainty. 

To  this  I  answer,  in  the  first  place,  that  from  the 
extreme  kindness  of  the  public  towards  me,  nothing 
(I  mean  in  relation  to  what  passes  in  my  own  heart) 
can  ever  be  injurious  to  me ;  that  my  setting  out 
with  only  six  hundred  men  would  have  been  attri- 
buted to  its  real  motive,  and  therefore  pardoned. 
In  the  second  place,  to  suspect  me  of  entering  into 
a  calculation  with  my  country,  and  of  despising 
any  means  whatever  of  serving  her,  would  either 
prove  a  want  of  discernment  or  of  memory  ;  and  to 
the  last  objection,  I  reply,  that  the  expedition  of 
which  I  spoke  to  you  yesterday,  is  quite  as  certain 
as  my  own. 

If  the  troops  had  remained  in  a  state  of  inactivity, 
it  would  have  been  very  natural  if  my  ardour  had 
induced  me  to  adopt  the  trade  of  a  corsair ;  nay,  it 
would  have  been  natural  if  I  had  set  out  in  an 
armed  boat ;  but  when  an  opportunity  offers  for 
employing  on  a  grander  scale  the  talents  of  a  man 


1779,  1780,   1781.  301 

who  has  never  exercised  a  soldier's  trade  but  on  a 
wide  field,  it  would  be  unfortunate  for  him  to  lose 
the  power  of  distinguishing  himself,  and  rendering, 
perhaps,  some  important  services  to  his  own 
country ;  and  it  would  be  injudicious  in  the  go- 
vernment not  to  put  to  the  test  that  reputation 
which  has  been  gained  in  foreign  service. 

May  I,  sir,  speak  to  you  with  frankness  ?  What 
is  most  proper  for  me,  would  be  an  advance  guard 
of  grenadiers  and  chasseurs,  and  a  detachment  of 
the  king's  dragoons,  making  in  all,  from  fifteen 
hundred  to  two  thousand  men,  to  raise  me  above 
the  line,  and  give  me  the  power  of  action.  There 
are  not  many  lieutenants-general,  still  fewer  field- 
marshals,  and  no  brigadiers,  who  have  had  such 
important  commands  confided  to  them  as  chance 
has  given  me.  I  also  know  the  English,  and  they 
know  me — two  important  considerations  during  a 
war.  The  command  I  wished  for  has  even  been 
given  to  a  colonel. 

It  is  said  that  M.  de  Maillebois,  M.  de  Voyer, 
and  M.  de  Melfort,  will  be  employed ;  I  know  the 
first  and  last  of  these  gentlemen ;  M.  de  Melfort  is 
a  field-marshal,  and  although  I  have  exercised  that 
trade  myself,  I  should  be  well  pleased  to  be  under 
his  orders.  I  wish  to  be  chosen  in  the  report  of 
the  army,  not  of  the  court ;  I  do  not  belong  to  the 
court,  still  less  am  I  a  courtier ;  and  I  beg  the 
king's  ministers  to  look  upon  me  as  having  belonged 
to  a  corps  of  the  guards. 

The  Count  de  Maurepas  only  replied  to  me,  per- 
haps, to  divert  my  attention  from  some  projects 
which  are  known  unto  me ;  I  shall  see  him  again 
on  Wednesday  morning,  and  my  fate  will  then  be 
decided.  You  would  give  me,  sir,  a  great  proof  of 


302  CORRESPONDENCE, 

friendship,  by  paying  him  a  visit  either  to-night  or 
to-morrow  morning,  and  communicating  to  him  the 
same  sentiments  you  expressed  to  me  yesterday. 

It  is  more  important  that  you  should  see  him  at 
that  time,  because,  if  I  hear  from  Lorient  that  the 
vessels  are  in  readiness,  I  know  not  how  to  dis* 
semble,  and  I  must  demand  my  farewell  audience. 
The  little  expedition  will  then  be  given  to  some 
lieutenant-colonel,  who  may  never  have  looked  with 
the  eye  of  a  general,  who  may  not  possess  great 
talents,  but  who,  if  he  be  brave  and  prudent,  will 
lead  the  six  hundred  men  as  well  as  M.  de  Turenne 
could  do  if  he  were  to  return  to  life.  The  detach- 
ment of  dragoons  might  then  be  kept  back,  the 
more  so,  as  when  reduced  to  fifty  it  would  only  be- 
come ridiculous ;  and  the  major,  who  takes  charge 
of  the  detail,  would  likewise  attend  to  the  detail 
of  my  advance  guard,  in  which  I  place  great  de- 
pendence. 

I  acknowledge  to  you,  that  I  feel  no  dependence 
on  M.  de  Montbarry,  and  I  even  wish,  that  my 
affairs  could  be  arranged  by  you  and  M.  de  Mau- 
repas.  I  know,  sir,  that  I  am  asking  for  a  proof  of 
friendship  which  must  give  you  some  trouble,  but 
I  request  it  because  I  depend  fully  upon  that  friend- 
ship. 

Pardon  this  scrawl,  sir;  pardon  my  importunity; 
and  pardon  the  liberty  I  take  in  assuring  you  so 
simply  of  my  attachment  and  respect. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  303 

DR.  FRANKLIN  TO  THE  MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Passy,  24th  August,  1779. 

SIR, — The  congress,  sensible  of  your  merit  towards 
the  United  States,  but  unable  adequately  to  reward 
it,  determined  to  present  you  with  a  sword,  as  a 
small  mark  of  their  grateful  acknowledgment :  they 
directed  it  to  be  ornamented  with  suitable  devices. 
Some  of  the  principal  actions  of  the  war,  in  which 
you  distinguished  yourself  by  your  bravery  and  con- 
duct, are  therefore  represented  upon  it.  These, 
with  a  few  emblematic  figures,  all  admirably  well 
executed,  make  its  principal  value.  By  the  help  of 
the  exquisite  artists  of  France,  I  find  it  easy  to  ex- 
press everything  but  the  sense  we  have  of  your 
worth,  and  our  obligations  to  you  for  this,  figures, 
and  even  words,  are  found  insufficient.  I,  therefore, 
only  add  that,  with  the  most  perfect  esteem,  I  have 
the  honour  to  be,  B.  FRANKLIN. 

P.S.  My  grandson  goes  to  Havre  with  the  sword, 
and  will  have  the  honour  of  presenting  it  to  you. 


TO  DR.  FRANKLIN. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Havre,  29th  August,  177& 

SIR, — Whatever  expectations  might  have  been 
raised  from  the  sense  of  past  favours,  the  goodness 
of  the  United  States  to  me  has  ever  been  such, 
that  on  every  occasion  it  far  surpasses  any  idea  I 
could  have  conceived.  A  new  proof  of  that  flatter- 
ing truth  I  find  in  the  noble  present,  which  con- 


304  CORRESPONDENCE, 

gress  has  been  pleased  to  honour  me  with,  and 
which  is  offered  in  such  a  manner  by  your  excel- 
lency as  will  exceed  everything,  but  the  feelings  of 
an  unbounded  gratitude. 

In  some  of  the  devices  I  cannot  help  finding  too 
honourable  a  reward  for  those  slight  services  which, 
in  concert  with  my  fellow  soldiers,  and  under  the 
god-like  American  hero's  orders,  I  had  the  good 
fortune  to  render.  The  sight  of  those  actions,  where 
I  was  a  witness  of  American  bravery  and  patriotic 
spirit,  I  shall  ever  enjoy  with  that  pleasure  which 
becomes  a  heart  glowing  with  love  for  the  nation, 
and  the  most  ardent  zeal  for  its  glory  and  happi- 
ness. Assurances  of  gratitude,  which  I  beg  leave 
to  present  to  your  excellency,  are  much  too  in- 
adequate to  my  feelings,  and  nothing  but  such  sen- 
timents can  properly  acknowledge  your  kindness 
towards  me.  The  polite  manner  in  which  Mr. 
Franklin  was  pleased  to  deliver  that  inestimable 
sword,  lays  me  under  great  obligations  to  him,  and 
demands  my  particular  thanks. 

With  the  most  perfect  respect,  I  have  the  honour 
to  be,  &c. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

West  Point,  30th  Sept.,  1779. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — A  few  days  ago,  I  wrote  a 
letter  in  much  haste ;  since  that,  I  have  been  ho- 
noured with  the  company  of  Chevalier  de  la  Lu- 
zerne,  and  by  him  was  favoured  with  your  obliging 
letter  of  the  12th  of  June,  which  filled  me  with 
equal  pleasure  and  surprise ;  the  latter  at  hearing 


1779,   1780,   1781.  305 

that  you  had  not  received  one  of  the  many  letters  I 
had  written  to  you  since  you  left  the  American 
shore.  It  gave  me  infinite  pleasure  to  hear  from 
your  sovereign,  and  of  the  joy  which  your  safe  ar- 
rival in  France  had  diffused  among  your  friends.  I 
had  no  doubt  that  this  would  be  the  case  ;  to  hear 
it  from  yourself  adds  pleasure  to  the  account ;  and 
here,  my  dear  friend,  let  me  congratulate  you  on 
your  new,  honourable,  and  pleasing  appointment  in 
the  army  commanded  by  the  Count  de  Vaux,  which 
I  shall  accompany  with  an  assurance  that  none  can 
do  it  with  more  warmth  of  affection,  or  sincere  joy, 
than  myself.  Your  forward  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
liberty  ;  your  singular  attachment  to  this  infant 
world ;  your  ardent  and  persevering  efforts,  not 
only  in  America,  but  since  your  return  to  France, 
to  serve  the  United  States  ;  your  polite  attention  to 
Americans,  and  your  strict  and  uniform  friendship 
for  me,  have  ripened  the  first  impressions  of  esteem 
and  attachment  which  I  imbibed  for  you  into  such 
perfect  love  and  gratitude,  as  neither  time  nor  ab- 
sence can  impair.  This  will  warrant  my  assur- 
ing you  that,  whether  in  the  character  of  an  officer 
at  the  head  of  a  corps  of  gallant  Frenchmen,  if  cir. 
cumstances  should  require  this  ;  whether  as  a  major- 
general,  commanding  a  division  of  the  American  army; 
or  whether,  after  our  swords  and  spears  have  given 
place  to  the  ploughshare  and  pruning-hook,  I  see 
you  as  a  private  gentleman,  a  friend  and  companion, 
I  shall  welcome  you  with  all  the  warmth  of  friend- 
ship to  Columbia's  shores  ;  and,  in  the  latter  case, 
to  my  rural  cottage,  where  homely  fare  and  a  cor- 
dial reception  shall  be  substituted  for  delicacies  and 
costly  living.  This,  from  past  experience,  I  know 
you  can  submit  to ;  and  if  the  lovely  partner  of 
your  happiness  will  consent  to  participate  with  us 
VOL.  i.  x 


306  CORRESPONDENCE, 

in  such  rural  entertainment  and  amusements,  I  can 
undertake,  in  behalf  of  Mrs.  Washington,  that  she 
will  do  everything  in  her  power  to  make  Virginia 
agreeable  to  the  Marchioness.  My  inclination  and 
endeavours  to  do  this  cannot  be  doubted,  when  I 
assure  you  that  I  love  everybody  that  is  dear  to 
you,  and,  consequently,  participate  in  the  pleasure 
you  feel  in  the  prospect  .of  again  becoming  a  parent ; 
and  do  most  sincerely  congratulate  you  and  your 
lady  on  this  fresh  pledge  she  is  about  to  give  you  of 
her  love. 

I  thank  you  for  the  trouble  you  have  taken,  and 
your  polite  attention,  in  favouring  me  with  a  copy 
of  your  letter  to  congress ;  and  feel,  as  I  am  per- 
suaded they  must  do,  the  force  of  such  ardent  zeal 
as  you  therein  express  for  the  interest  of  this  coun- 
try. The  propriety  of  the  hint  you  have  given  them 
must  carry  conviction,  and,  I  trust,  will  have  a  salu- 
tary effect ;  though  there  is  not,  I  believe,  the  same 
occasion  for  the  admonition  now  that  there  was 
several  months  ago.  Many  late  changes  have  taken 
place  in  that  honourable"  body,  which  have  removed, 
in  a  very  great  degree,  if  not  wholly,  the  discordant 
spirit  which,  it  is  said,  prevailed  in  the  winter,  and 
1  hope  measures  will  also  be  taken  to  remove  those 
unhappy  and  improper  differences  which  have  ex- 
tended themselves  elsewhere,  to  the  prejudice  of  our 
affairs  in  Europe. 

I  have  a  great  pleasure  in  the  visit  which  the 
Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  and  Monsieur  Marbois  did 
me  the  honour  to  make  at  this  camp  ;  concerning 
both  of  whom  I  have  imbibed  the  most  favourable 
impressions,  and  I  thank  you  for  the  honourable 
mention  you  made  of  me  to  them.  The  chevalier, 
till  he  had  announced  himself  to  congress,  did  not 
choose  to  be  received  in  his  public  character  ;  if  he 


1779,  1780,  1781.  307 

had,  except  paying  him  military  honours,  it  was  not 
my  intention  to  depart  from  that  plain  and  simple 
manner  of  living  which  accords  with  the  real  in- 
terest and  policy  of  men  struggling  under  every 
difficulty  for  the  attainment  of  the  most  inestimable 
blessing  of  life,  liberty.  The  chevalier  was  polite 
enough  to  approve  my  principle,  and  condescended 
to  appear  pleased  with  our  Spartan  living.  In  a 
word,  he  made  us  all  exceedingly  happy  by  his 
affability  and  good  humour,  while  he  remained  in 
camp. 

'  You  are  pleased,  my  dear  marquis,  to  express  an 
earnest  desire  of  seeing  me  in  France,  after  the 
establishment  of  our  independency,  and  do  me  the 
honour  to  add,  that  you  are  not  singular  in  your 
request.  Let  me  entreat  you  to  be  persuaded,  that, 
to  meet  you  anywhere,  after  the  final  accomplish- 
ment of  so  glorious  an  event,  would  contribute  to 
my  happiness  ;  and  that  to  visit  a  country  to  whose 
generous  aid  we  stand  so  much  indebted,  would  be 
an  additional  pleasure  ;  but  remember,  my  good 
friend,  that  I  am  unacquainted  with  your  language, 
that  I  am  too  far  advanced  in  years  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  it,  and  that,  to  converse  through  the 
medium  of  an  interpreter,  upon  common  occasions, 
especially  with  the  ladies,  must  appear  so  extremely 
awkward,  insipid,  and  uncouth,  that  I  can  scarcely 
bear  it  in  idea.  I  will,  therefore,  hold  myself  dis- 
engaged for  the  present;  but  when  I  see  you  in 
Virginia,  we  will  talk  of  this  matter,  and  fix  our 
plans. 

The  declaration  of  Spain  in  favour  of  France  has 
given  universal  joy  to  every  Whig  ;  while  the  poor 
Tory  droops  like  a  withering  flower  under  a  declin- 
ing sun.  We  are  anxiously  expecting  to  hear  of  great 
and  important  events  on  your  side  of  the  Atlantic  ; 

x  2 


308  CORRESPONDENCE, 

at  present,  the  imagination  is  left  in  the  wide  field 
of  conjecture,  our  eyes  one  moment  are  turned  to 
an  invasion  of  England,  then  of  Ireland,  Minorca, 
Gibraltar ;  in  a  word,  we  hope  everything,  hut  know 
not  what  to  expect,  or  where  to  fix.  The  glorious 
success  of  Count  d'Estaing  in  the  West  Indies,  at 
the  same  time  that  it  adds  dominion  to  France,  and 
fresh  lustre  to  her  arms,  is  a  source  of  new  and  un- 
expected misfortune  to  our  tender  and  generous  pa- 
rent,  and  must  serve  to  convince  her  of  the  folly  of 
quitting  the  substance  in  pursuit  of  a  shadow  ;  and, 
as  there  is  no  experience  equal  to  that  which  is 
bought,  I  trust  she  will  have  a  superabundance  of 
this  kind  of  knowledge,  and  be  convinced,  as  I  hope 
all  the  world  and  every  tyrant  in  it  will  be,  that  the 
best  and  only  safe  road  to  honour,  glory,  and  true 
dignity,  is  justice. 

We  have  such  repeated  advice  of  Count  d'Es- 
taing's  being  in  these  seas,  that,  though  I  have  no 
official  information  of  the  event,  I  cannot  help 
giving  entire  credit  to  the  report,  and  looking  for 
his  arrival  every  moment,  and  I  am  preparing  ac- 
cordingly ;  the  enemy  at  New  York  also  expect  it ; 
and,  to  guard  against  the  consequences,  as  much  as 
it  is  in  their  power  to  do,  are  repairing  and  strength- 
ening all  the  old  fortifications,  and  adding  new  ones 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  city.  Their  fears,  however,  do 
not  retard  an  embarkation  which  was  making,  and 
generally  believed  to  be  for  the  West  Indies  or 
Charlestown :  it  still  goes  forward  ;  and,  by  my  in- 
telligence, it  will  consist  of  a  pretty  large  detach- 
ment. About  fourteen  days  ago,  one  British  regiment 
(the  forty-fourth  completed)  and  three  Hessian  regi- 
ments were  embarked,  and  are  gone,  as  is  supposed, 
to  Halifax.  The  operations  of  the  enemy  this  cam- 
paign have  been  confined  to  the  establishment  of 


1779,  1780,  1781.  309 

works  of  defence,  taking  a  post  at  King's  Ferry,  and 
burning  the  defenceless  towns  of  New  Haven,  Fair- 
field,  and  Norwalk,  on  the  Sound,  within  reach  of 
their  shipping,  where  little  else  was,  or  could  be, 
opposed  to  them,  than  the  cries  of  distressed 
women  and  helpless  children ;  but  these  were  offered 
in  vain.  Since  these  notable  exploits,  they  have 
never  stepped  out  of  their  works  or  beyond  their 
lines.  How  a  conduct  of  this  kind  is  to  effect  the 
conquest  of  America,  the  wisdom  of  a  North,  a  Ger- 
main, or  a  Sandwich  can  best  decide,  it  is  too  deep 
and  refined  for  the  comprehension  of  common  un- 
derstandings and  the  general  run  of  politicians. 

Mrs.  Washington,  who  set  out  for  Virginia  when 
we  took  the  field  in  June,  has  often,  in  her  letters  to 
me,  inquired  if  I  had  heard  from  you,  and  will  be 
much  pleased  at  hearing  that  you  are  well  and 
happy.  In  her  name,  as  she  is  not  here,  I  thank  you 
for  your  polite  attention  to  her,  and  shall  speak  her 
sense  of  the  honour  conferred  on  her  by  the  Marchio- 
ness. When  I  look  back  to  the  length  of  this  letter, 
I  have  not  the  courage  to  give  it  a  careful  reading 
for  the  purpose  of  correction  :  you  must,  therefore, 
receive  it  with  all  its  imperfections,  accompanied 
with  this  assurance,  that,  though  there  may  be 
many  inaccuracies  in  the  letter,  there  is  not  a  single 
defect  in  the  friendship  of,  my  dear  Marquis,  yours, 
&c. 


310  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Havre,  7th  October,  1779. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — From  those  happy  ties  of 
friendship  by  which  you  were  pleased  to  unite 
yourself  with  me,  from  the  promises  you  so  tenderly 
made  me  when  we  parted  at  Fishkill,  gave  me  such 
expectations  of  hearing  often  from  you,  that  com- 
plaints ought  to  be  permitted  to  my  affectionate 
heart.  Not  a  line  from  you,  my  dear  general,  has 
yet  arrived  into  my  hands,  and  though  several  ships 
from  America,  several  despatches  from  congress  or 
the  French  minister,  are  safely  brought  to  France, 
my  ardent  hopes  of  getting  at  length  a  letter  from 
General  Washington  have  ever  been  unhappily  dis- 
appointed :  I  cannot  in  any  way  account  for  that  bad 
luck,  and  when  I  remember  that  in  those  little  sepa- 
rations where  I  was  but  some  days  from  you,  the 
most  friendly  letters,  the  most  minute  account  of 
your  circumstances,  were  kindly  written  to  me,  I  am 
convinced  you  have  not  neglected  and  almost  for- 
gotten me  for  so  long  a  time.  I  have,  therefore,  to 
complain  of  fortune,  of  some  mistake  or  neglect  in 
acquainting  you  that  there  was  an  opportunity,  of 
anything,  indeed,  but  what  could  injure  the  sense  I 
have  of  your  affection  for  me.  Let  me  beseech  you, 
my  dear  general,  by  that  mutual,  tender,  and  ex- 
perienced friendship  in  which  I  have  put  an  im- 
mense portion  of  my  happiness,  to  be  very  exact  in 
inquiring  for  occasions,  and  never  to  miss  those 

*  To  this  letter  was  joined  a  long  letter  to  the  president  of 
congress,  which  contained  nearly  the  same  things,  expressed  in 
a  different  manner. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  311 

which  may  convey  to  me  letters  that  I  shall  be  so 
much  pleased  to  receive. 

Inclosed  I  send  to  your  excellency  the  copy  of 
my  letters  to  congress,  which,  in  concert  with  Mr. 
Franklin's  longer  despatches,  will  give  you  a  sketch 
of  European  intelligence.  Contrary  winds  have 
much  delayed  an  expedition  which  I  think  should 
have  been  undertaken  much  sooner :  the  kings  of 
France  and  Spain  seem  desirous  of  carrying  it  on 
before  the  winter  ;  it  may  be,  however,  deferred  till 
next  spring,  and  the  siege  of  Gibraltar  would  be  the 
only  land  expedition  for  the  present  campaign.  In 
a  few  weeks  time,  when  West  India  successes  may 
be  compared  to  those  in  Europe,  my  gazettes  and 
predictions  will  have  a  greater  degree  of  certainty, 
but  one  must  not  be  a  conjuror  to  see  that  England 
is  in  such  a  way  that  one  may  defy  her  to  get  up 
again,  and  that  a  happy  peace,  blessed  with  Ame- 
rican independence,  will,  in  this  or  the  ensuing  cam- 
paign, be  the  certain  effect  of  the  present  war. 

As  my  private  circumstances  are  somewhat 
interesting  to  your  friendship,  I  will  tell  you,  my 
dear  general,  that  since  my  last  letter  I  have  hardly 
quitted  this  place,  where  head-quarters  had  been 
fixed.  I  was  to  disembark  with  the  grenadiers 
forming  the  vanguard,  and  am,  therefore,  one  of 
the  first  who  will  land  on  the  English  shore.  The 
king's  own  regiment  of  dragoons,  which  he  gave 
me  on  my  return,  was  to  embark  at  Brest,  and  join 
us  a  few  days  after  the  landing.  From  Count 
d'Estaing's  expedition  on  the  American  coasts,  the 
nation  raises  great  expectations*  and  very  impatiently 
waits  for  intelligence.  How  unhappy  I  am  to  find 
myself  so  far  from  you  on  such  an  occasion  you 
will  easily  conceive.  The  impression  of  sorrow 
such  a  thought  gives  me  cannot  be  alleviated  but 


312  CORRESPONDENCE, 

by  the  sense  I  have  that  the  general  opinion  of  the 
turn  warlike  operations  will  take  this  campaign  , 
the  ties  of  my  duty  towards  my  own  country,  where 
my  services  had  been  employed  for  the  expedition 
against  England,  and  the  hope  I  entertained  of  being 
here  more  useful  to  the  United  States,  had  not  left 
me  the  choice  of  the  part  I  should  take  for  this 
campaign.  I  hope,  my  dear  sir,  you  will  agree  in 
opinion  with  me. 

Whatever  may  be  Count  d'Estaing's  success  in 
America,  it  will  bring  on  new  projects  and  opera- 
tions. My  ideas  I  laid  before  your  excellency  at 
Fishkills ;  but  permit  me  to  tell  you  again  how 
earnestly  I  wish  to  join  you.  Nothing  could  make 
me  so  delighted  as  the  happiness  of  finishing  the 
war  under  your  orders.  That,  I  think,  if  asked  by 
you,  will  be  granted  to  congress  and  your  excel- 
lency. But  be  certain,  my  dear  general,  that  in 
any  situation,  in  any  case,  let  me  act  as  a  French 
or  as  an  American  officer,  my  first  wish,  my  first 
pleasure,  will  be  to  serve  again  with  you.  However 
happy  I  am  in  France,  however  well  treated  by  my 
country  and  king,  I  have  taken  such  a  habit  of 
being  with  you,  I  am  tied  to  you,  to  America,  to 
my  fellow  soldiers  by  such  an  affection,  that  the 
moment  when  I  shall  sail  for  your  country  will  be 
one  of  the  most  wished  for  and  the  happiest  in  mv 
life. 

From  an  American  newspaper  I  find  that  a  cer- 
tain English  intelligence  had  been  propagated 
through  the  United  States,  that,  at  the  head  of 
fifteen  hundred  officers  or  non-commissioned  officers, 
I  was  going  to  embark  for  America,  and  that,  with 
soldiers  of  your  army  embodied  under  them,  I 
wanted  to  teach  military  discipline  throughout  the 
American  army.  However  remote  I  am  from 


1779,  1780,  1781.  313 

thinking  of  teaching  my  own  masters,  and  however 
distant  from  such  views  was  that  command  in 
France,  whose  end  you  very  well  know,  I  could  not 
help  taking  it  as  a  reflection  on  the  American  army. 
The  English  troops  may  remember  that  on  some  par- 
ticular occasions  I  have  not  had  to  lament  the  want 
of  discipline  and  spirit  in  the  troops  which  I  had  the 
honour  to  command.  Whilst  we  have  but  the  same 
British  army  to  fight  with,  we  need  not  be  looking 
out  for  any  other  improvement  than  the  same  qua- 
lities which  have  often  enabled  my  fellow  American 
soldiers  to  give,  instead  of  receiving,  pretty  good 
lessons  to  an  enemy,  whose  justly-reputed  courage 
added  a  new  reputation  to  American  bravery  and 
military  conduct. 

The  above  article,  my  dear  general,  I  beg  you 
will  have  printed  in  the  several  newspapers. 

As  there  is  but  a  little  time  to  write  before  the 
sailing  of  the  vessel,  I  cannot  call  to  mind  all  the 
friends  I  have  in  the  army,  unless  your  excellency 
is  pleased  to  make  them  a  thousand  compliments 
from  one  who  heartily  loves  them,  and  whose  first 
wish  is  to  be  again  in  their  company. 

I  congratulate  you,  my  dear  general,  on  the 
spirited  expedition  of  Stony  Point,*  and  am  glad 
it  has  added  a  new  lustre  to  our  arms. 

Be  so  kind,  my  dear  friend,  as  to  present  my  best 
respects  to  your  lady.  Mine  begs  leave  to  be  kindly 
remembered  to  you  and  to  her.  Thousand  assur- 
ances of  friendship  wait  from  me  on  your  family. 

Oh !  my  dear  general,  how  happy  I  should  be  to 
embrace  you  again ! 


*  A  brilliant  exploit  of  General  Wayne,  who,  on  the  15th  of 
July,  took  by  assault  the  fort  of  Stony  Point,  and  forced  five 
hundred  and  fifty-four  English  to  capitulate. 


314  CORRESPONDENCE, 

With  such  affection  as  is  above  all  expressions 
any  language  may  furnish,  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
very  respectfully,  &c. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Versailles,  February  2d,  1780. 

You  approved,  sir,  of  my  putting  down  in  writing, 
before  conversing  with  you  upon  the  subject  of  the 
expedition,  some  of  the  measures  necessary  to  be 
taken  in  either  of  the  following  cases :  first,  if  I 
should  command  the  French  detachment ;  and 
secondly,  if  I  should  resume  an  American  division.* 

I  must  begin  by  observing  that  this  commission 
is  not  only  a  military  and  political,  but  also  a  social 
affair ;  and  from  the  circumstances  under  which  I 
am  now  placed,  I  assure  you,  on  my  honour,  that  I 
believe  the  first  measure  would  be  most  favourable 
to  the  public  service,  and  the  interest  of  France  as 
regards  her  allies. 

As  I  must  immediately  begin  my  preparations,  I 
should  wish  to  be  informed  of  the  decision  in  suffi- 
cient time  to  select  some  officers  of  proper  age, 
experience,  and  talents,  with  whom  I  can  become 
acquainted  before  I  take  charge  of  the  corps;  and 
on  this  account  it  is  necessary  to  arrange  matters 

*  This  letter  contains  the  basis  of  the  plan  which  was  finally 
adopted.  We  have  been  obliged  to  retrench  several  letters  which 
relate  to  projects  analogous  to  those  presented  at  various  periods 
by  M.  de  Lafayette.  It  was  at  length  determined  to  send  an  auxi- 
liary corps  even  stronger  than  he  had  hoped  to  obtain.  As  to 
himself,  he  was  to  precede  it  to  America,  whither  he  repaired 
with  political  instructions  from  the  French  cabinet,  and  to  re- 
sume a  command  in  the  army  of  the  United  States.  His  in- 
structions are  dated  the  5th  of  March ;  his  departure  took  place 
the  19th. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  315 

immediately  with  the  Prince  de  Montbarrey.  Two 
old  experienced  lieutenant-colonels  should  command 
the  infantry  under  me  :  in  distant  expeditions,  it  is 
necessary  that  officers  should  suit  each  other,  and  I 
am  particularly  fond  of  old  officers. 

In  regard  to  myself,  sir,  I  ask  for  nothing, — and 
as  during  the  course  of  a  war  I  may  hope  to  acquire 
rank,  you  might  either  give  me  one  of  those  com- 
missions of  M.  de  Sartine,  which  are  only  of  use  in 
America,  or  one  that  would  not  prevent  my  seniors 
from  resuming  afterwards  their  rank,  or  else  letters 
of  service,  to  enable  me  simply  to  command  in  the 
capacity  of  an  American  general  officer. 

There  are  three  methods  of  concealing  the  real 
aim  of  the  expedition :  1st,  to  set  out  together  for 
Lorient,  under  pretence  of  taking  an  island,  and 
operating  in  Carolina  in  the  autumn ; — 2nd,  to 
pretend  to  send  troops  to  M.  de  Bouille  ;  there 
need  be  no  commander,  and  I  should  have  the  title 
of  mare'chal-des-logis ; — 3d,  for  me  to  set  out  im- 
mediately with  the  grenadiers  and  dragoons  for 
America,  and  that  the  four  battalions,  commanded 
by  the  two  ancient  officers,  should  join  me  at  Rhode 
Island. 

If  I  should  have  the  command,  you  may  act  with 
perfect  security,  because  the  Americans  know  me 
too  well  to  feel  the  slightest  anxiety.  I  will  bind 
myself,  if  it  be  desired,  to  ask  for  neither  rank  nor 
titles,  and,  to  put  the  ministry  quite  at  their  ease, 
I  will  even  promise  to  refuse  them  should  they  be 
offered  me. 

In  the  second  case,  sir,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
prevent,  beforehand,  in  America,  the  bad  effects 
that  the  arrival  of  another  commander  would  excite : 
that  I  am  not  to  lead  that  detachment  is  the  last 
idea  that  could  ever  occur  in  that  country ;  I  will 


316  CORRESPONDENCE, 

say,  therefore,  that  for  myself  I  prefer  having  an 
American  division. 

I  must  be  in  the  secret  to  prepare  the  various 
measures,  and  inform  General  Washington  of  the 
transaction.  A  secret  with  which  I  was  not 
acquainted  would  appear  very  suspicious  at  Phila- 
delphia. 

Three  merchant  frigates  and  a  transport  ship 
would  be  procured  at  Lorient.  We  have,  it  is  said, 
an  American  crew;  the  fifteen  thousand  suits  of 
clothes,  and  fifteen  thousand  guns,  &c.  might  be 
embarked ;  at  the  end  of  the  month  it  would  be 
necessary  to  set  out  for  the  continent. 

On  arriving  at  a  port,  I  should  endeavour  to  com- 
mence my  operations  with  General  Washington ;  I 
should  take  a  division  in  the  army,  and,  with  M.  de 
la  Luzerne's  aid,  prepare  everything  for  the  arrival 
of  the  French.  To  increase  the  number  of  my 
division, — to  serve  as  an  example  to  them, — to 
change  the  ideas  entertained  respecting  us, — and  to 
shew  in  what  perfect  good  intelligence  French  and 
Americans  may  live  together, — I  should  request  to 
take  with  me,  at  once,  a  battalion  of  six  hundred 
grenadiers,  three  hundred  dragoons,  and  one  hun- 
dred hussars. 

Two  or  three  officers,  whom  I  should  bring  back 
with  me,  must  obtain  the  same  rank  in  France 
which  they  had  in  America,  and  I  should  say  that  I 
have  refused  that  rank  myself  from  motives  which 
are  purely  social.  This  attention  is  necessary  to 
flatter  the  self-love  of  the  Americans.  We  may 
stop  at  Bermuda  on  our  way,  and  establish  there 
the  party  for  liberty. 

I  shall  set  out  on  Wednesday  for  Nantes,  where 
the  clothes  are  making ;  I  shall  also  attend  to  the 
selection  of  the  arms ;  I  shall  see  the  king's  regi- 


1779,  1780,  1781.  317 

ment  at  Angers,  to  form  a  detachment  from  it ;  I 
shall  repair  to  Lorient  to  hasten  the  arrangement  of 
the  frigates,  and  to  see  the  battalion  of  grenadiers  ; 
I  shall  only  be  here  the  20th,  and  as  my  departure 
must  be  public,  I  shall  take  leave  the  25th,  in  an 
American  uniform,  and  if  the  wind  be  favourable, 
I  shall  sail  the  1st  of  March. 

As  it  is  physically  impossible  that  a  detachment 
commanded  by  a  foreigner  should  amalgamate  to- 
gether well,  I  believe  it  would  be  necessary  to 
increase  it  by  a  battalion,  which  would  raise  the 
number  to  about  three  thousand  six  hundred,  and 
the  grenadiers  would  remain  more  particularly 
attached  to  me  during  the  campaign. 

If  that  little  corps  be  given  to  an  old  field-mar- 
shal, we  should  certainly  displease  all  the  American 
chiefs.  Gates,  Sullivan,  and  Saint  Clair,  would  not 
like  to  be  under  the  orders  of  others,  and  their 
opinion  in  the  council  would  be  opposed  to  com- 
bined expeditions.  I  think  it  necessary,  very  ne- 
cessary, to  select  a  brigadier,  and  name  him  field- 
marshal,  which  he  would  look  upon  as  a  promo- 
tion. The  corps  must  consider  itself  as  a  division 
of  our  army ;  its  commander  must  abjure  all  pre- 
tensions, think  himself  an  American  major-general, 
and  execute,  in  all  respects,  the  orders  of  General 
Washington.  The  naval  commander  may  have  more 
power  placed  in  his  hands. 

Conclusion.  1st,  I  think  it  would  be  best  to 
give  me  the  corps. — 2d,  If  it  be  not  given  to  me,  I 
must  instantly  set  out  with  the  powers  I  demand. 
In  either  case,  it  is,  unfortunately,  necessary  to 
reveal  to  me  the  secret,  and  set  me  immediately  to 
work. 

I  shall  have  the  honour,  sir,  of  paying  my  respects 
to  you  during  the  procession. 


318  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  HIS   EXCELLENCY  GENERAL   WASHINGTON  * 

(ORIGINAL.) 

At  the  entrance  of  Boston  harbour,  April  27,  1780. 
HERE  I  am,  my  dear  general,  and,  in  the  midst  of 
the  joy  I  feel  in  finding  myself  again  one  of  your 
loving  soldiers,  I  take  but  the  time  to  tell  you  that 
I  came  from  France  on  board  a  frigate  which  the 
king  gave  me  for  my  passage.  I  have  affairs  of  the 
utmost  importance  which  I  should  at  first  com- 
municate to  you  alone.  In  case  my  letter  finds  you 
anywhere  this  side  of  Philadelphia,  I  beg  you  will 
wait  for  me,  and  do  assure  you  a  great  public  good 
may  be  derived  from  it.  To-morrow  we  go  up  to  the 
town,  and  the  day  after  I  shall  set  off  in  my  usual 
way  to  joined  my  beloved  and  respected  friend 
and  general. 

Adieu,  my  dear  general ;  you  will  easily  know  the 
hand  of  your  young  soldier. 

My  compliments  to  the  family. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Waterburg,  on  the  Boston  road, 

From  the  Camp,  May  6th,  1780. 

I  HAVE  already  had  the  honour  of  writing  to  you, 
sir,  and  of  announcing  to  you  the  news  of  my  ar- 
rival ;  but  I  place  so  much  confidence  in  the  kind- 
ness you  express  for  me,  that  I  do  not  hesitate  to 
repeat  the  contents  of  my  former  letter.  It  was  the 

*  The  second  of  the  measures  discussed  in  the  preceding 
letter  was  the  one  preferred,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  embarked 
alone  at  the  island  of  Aix. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  319 

28th  of  April,  after  a  voyage  of  thirty-eight  days, 
and  after  having  experienced  both  calms  and  con- 
trary winds,  that  the  Hermione  entered  the  Boston 
harbour.  I  cannot  sufficiently  express  my  admira- 
tion of  the  frigate  herself,  and  my  gratitude  to  her 
commanding  officers. 

I  can  neither  give  you  any  certain  information, 
sir,  nor  promise  you  any  degree  of  accuracy  re- 
specting numbers  and  dates.  General  Washington 
can  alone  inform  me  of  the  truth  ;  but  this  does 
appear  to  me  certain  : — 

Our  army  is  not  numerous ;  the  eastern  states 
are  occupied  in  recruiting  it.  Paper  has  been  re- 
gulated by  congress  at  forty  for  one  :  these  are  very 
high  taxes,  and  they  hope  to  be  able  to  raise  the 
finances  a  little,  which  are  in  a  very  low  state  ;  but, 
at  present,  I  cannot  give  you  any  settled  ideas  upon 
this  point. 

The  scarcity  of  horses,  their  price,  and  the  want 
of  provisions,  have  very  much  increased  during  my 
absence ;  but  I  assure  you,  sir,  that,  in  a  moral 
point  of  view,  I  continue  to  see  a  most  favourable 
prospect  for  my  American  friends. 

General  Clinton  has  besieged  Charlestown,  and 
as  he  has  eight  or  ten  thousand  men,  and  the  report 
is  spread  that  his  vessels  have  crossed  the  bar,  it  is 
impossible  not  to  fear  for  that  place,  unless  Spanish 
or  French  vessels  should  come  from  the  islands  to 
its  succour.  Some  troops  from  the  army  of  Ge- 
neral Washington  have  proceeded  thither. 

New  York  has  only  six  or  seven  thousand  gar- 
risoned men  ;  such  is,  at  least,  the  public  report, 
and  I  do  not  believe  that  the  hostile  forces  are  much 
more  numerous  at  present.  They  say,  at  Boston, 
that  there  are  only  four  thousand  men  ;  but  I  re- 


320  CORRESPONDENCE, 

peat,  sir,  that  my  gazettes  cannot  be  at  all  accurate 
at  present. 

The  English  have  but  few  vessels  at  Charlestown  ; 
at  most  they  have  only,  I  think,  one  or  two  at  New 
York.  It  is  said  here,  and  every  one  seems  to  be- 
lieve it,  that  if  some  French  forces  were  to  arrive  at 
this  moment,  they  might  strike  some  decisive  blows. 

Be  pleased,  sir,  to  accept  the  assurance  of  the 
warm  and  respectful  affection  with  which  I  have  the 
honour  to  be,  &c. 

P.S.  Some  American  officers,  just  come  from 
New  York,  assure  me  that  a  frigate  has  arrived 
with  important  despatches  from  the  English  govern- 
ment. Don  Juan  de  Miralles,  who  has  been  long 
established  at  Philadelphia,  and  who  knows  M. 
d'Aranda,  died  at  Morristown ;  he  was  buried  with 
much  honour. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Morristown,  May,  1783. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — Your  welcome  favour  of  the 
27th  of  April  came  to  my  hands  yesterday.  I  re- 
ceived it  with  all  the  joy  that  the  sincerest  friend- 
ship would  dictate,  and  with  that  impatience 
which  an  ardent  desire  to  see  you  could  not  fail 
to  inspire.  I  am  sorry  I  do  not  know  your  route 
through  the  State  of  New  York,  that  I  might 
with  certainty  send  a  small  party  of  horse,  all  I  have 
at  this  place,  to  meet  and  escort  you  safely  through 
the  Tory  settlements,  between  this  place  and  the 
North  River.  At  all  events,  Major  Gibbs  will  go  as 
far  as  Compton,  where  the  roads  unite,  to  meet  you 


1779,  1780,    1781,  321 

and  will  proceed  from  thence,  as  circumstances  may 
direct,  either  towards  King's  Ferry  or  New  Windsor. 
I  most  sincerely  congratulate  you  on  your  safe  ar- 
rival in  America,  and  shall  embrace  you  with  all 
the  warmth  of  an  affectionate  friend,  when  you 
come  to  head-quarters,  where  a  bed  is  prepared  for 
you,  Adieu  till  we  meet.  Yours,  &c.* 


TO  THE  COUNT  DE  ROCHAMBEAtJ. 

Philadelphia,  19th  May,  1780* 

SIR, — This  letter  will  be  handed  to  you  by  M.  de 
Gal  van,  a  French  officer  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  and  you  may  receive  with  confidence  the 
various  accounts  which  he  will  have  the  honour  to 
give  you.  I  have  appointed  him  to  await  your 
arrival  at  Cape  Henry,  and  you  will  see  that  my 
instructions  to  this  officer  are  in  conformity  with 

*  General  Washington  expressed,  in  several  letters,  the  plea- 
sure he  felt  at  M.  de  Lafayette's  return.  (See  his  letters  of 
the  13th  and  14th  of  May.)  The  16th  of  May,  the  congress 
declared,  by  a  public  resolution,  that  "they  consider  his  return  0 
as  a  fresh  proof  of  the  disinterested  zeal  and  persevering  at- 
tachment which  have  justly  recommended  him  to  the  public 
confidence  and  applause,  and  that  they  receive  with  pleasure  a 
tender  of  the  further  services  of  so  gallant  and  meritorious  an 
officer." — (Journal  of  Congress,  May  20th.) 

It  was  afterwards  resolved  that  the  commander-in-chief,  after 
having  received  the  communications  M.  de  Lafayette  had  to 
make  to  him,  was  to  take  the  proper  measures  which  were  most 
likely  to  forward  the  success  of  the  plan  they  had  in  view.  The 
communications  related  to  the  expected  arrival  of  a  French 
squadron  and  land  forces.  The  plan  in  contemplation  was  to 
make  some  attacks,  especially  on  New  York. 
VOL.  I.  Y 


322  CORRESPONDENCE, 

those  which  I  have  received  from  the  Count  de 
Vergennes.* 

I  reached  Boston  on  the  26th  of  April.  On  the 
morning  of  the  10th  of  May,  I  was  at  head-quarters, 
and  after  passing  four  days  with  General  Washing- 
ton, I  went  to  meet  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne. 
The  military  preparations  and  the  political  measures 
which  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  attend  to,  have 
delayed  M.  de  Galvan  up  to  the  present  moment. 
I  now  hasten  to  despatch  him  to  his  destination,  and 
shall  keep  him  informed  of  whatever  news  may  be 
interesting  to  you,  continuing  to  add  the  ideas  of 
the  general,  with  regard  to  the  best  means  of  im- 
proving present  circumstances. 

Immediately  upon  my  arrival,  confidential  per- 
sons were  sent  out  to  procure  plans  and  details- 
upon  the  different  points  which  become  interesting 
for  the  operations  of  this  campaign.  As  to  other 
matters,  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  has  had  the 
goodness  to  enable  me,  as  far  as  possible,  to  fulfil 
my  instructions,  and  he  has  taken  the  first  measures 
requisite  to  procure  a  supply  of  food  and  other 


*  The  instructions  given  to  M.  de  Lafayette  by  the  minister 
of  foreign  affairs,  (5th  March,  1780,)  were,  that,  to  prevent 
any  mistake  or  delay,  he  was  to  place,  both  on  Rhode  Island 
and  on  Cape  Henry  (the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake),  a  French 
officer,  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  French  squadron,  which  was 
to  land  at  one  of  those  two  points,  and  to  give  it  all  the  infor- 
mation it  might  require  on  its  arrival.  This  letter  was  conse- 
quently given  to  M.  de  Galvan,  and  he  repaired  to  Cape 
Henry,  but  vainly  expecffed  those  frigates:  they  landed  at 
Rhode  Island.  They  left  Brest  the  2nd  of  May,  under  the 
orders  of  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay,  and  appeared  before  New- 
port the  10th  of  July.  This  letter  was  delivered  afterwards  to 
M.  de  Rochambeau,  as  well  as  several  others,  which  want  of 
space  and  interest  do  not  allow  us  to  insert. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  323 

necessaries  for  the  land  and  naval  forces.  Although 
the  scarcity  of  all  things  is  infinitely  greater  than 
when  I  left  America,  the  precautions  taken  before- 
hand  hy  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  and  the  mea- 
sures we  are  now  taking  here,  render  it  certain  that 
the  French  will  not  be  in  want,  either  of  flour  or  of 
fresh  meat, 

I  will  now  give  you  a  summary  of  the  present 
situation  of  the  enemy  on  the  continent.  I  shall 
say  nothing  of  Canada,  or  Halifax,  or  the  Penobscot, 
from  whence  we  are  expecting  news,  and  which,  for 
the  moment,  are  not  of  essential  importance.  Rhode 
Island  is  in  our  possession  ;  you  can  enter  there  in 
full  security;  letterSj  signals,  and  pilots  will  await 
you  there,  agreeably  to  my  instructions.  Your 
magazines,  your  sick,  and  all  your  unnecessary 
baggage,  can  go  up  the  Providence  by  water  ;  I  shall 
soon  send  to  Rhode  Island  more  particular  infor- 
mation on  this  point, 

The  enemy  have,  at  the  present  moment,  seven 
thousand  men  of  their  best  troops  employed  at  the 
siege  of  Charlestown  ;  they  have  also  some  ships  of 
the  line  without  the  harbour  •  one  vessel  of  fifty 
guns,  two  frigates  of  forty-four,  and  several  smaller 
vessels.  According  to  news  from  New  York, 
Charlestown  still  held  out  on  the  3rd  of  this  month. 
On  the  Islands  of  New  York,  Long  Island,  and 
Staten  Island,  the  forces  of  the  enemy  consisted  of 
eight  thousand  regular  troops,  a  few  militia,  upon 
which  they  place  no  dependence,  and  a  small  num- 
ber of  royalists,  very  contemptible  in  all  respects. 
They  have  only  one  ship  of  seventy-four  guns,  and 
some  frigates.  The  American  army  is  in  three  di- 
visions ;  one  guards  the  fort  of  West  Point  and 
keeps  open  the  North  River ;  another  is  in  South 
Carolina  j  and  the  third,  which  is  the  largest,  is  in 

Y  2 


324  CORRESPONDENCE, 

the  Jerseys,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Washington.  This  last  division,  not  very 
numerous  at  present,  will  be  increased  in  a  few 
days  ;  and  for  that  reason,  I  shall  defer  till  another 
letter  giving  you  a  more  exact  account  of  its  situa- 
tion. 

Your  voyage  is  known  at  New  York.  Advices 
were  immediately  sent  on  to  Charlestown,  recalling 
either  the  troops,  or  at  least  the  ships  of  war.  They 
are  erecting  fortifications  on  the  Island,  and  pre- 
paring vessels  loaded  with  stones  to  obstruct  the 
passage ;  in  a  word,  if  it  be  true  that  the  present 
divided  state  of  the  English  forces  seems  to  insure 
their  destruction,  and  to  promise  us  the  conquest 
of  New  York,  it  is  equally  true  that,  at  the  moment 
of  your  arrival,  if  by  good  fortune  things  remain  in 
their  present  state,  we  shall  have  no  time  to  lose  in 
taking  advantage  of  those  favourable  circumstances. 

At  the  same  time  that  I  here  execute  the  orders 
of  my  general,  and  communicate  to  you  the  senti- 
ments of  my  friend,  permit  me  to  assure  you  of  the 
strong  desire  of  our  army  to  do  whatever  may  please 
you,  and  how  much  we  shall  all  endeavour  to  merit 
the  friendship  and  the  esteem  of  troops,  whose 
assistance  at  the  present  moment  is  so  essential  to 
us.  You  will  find  amongst  us  a  great  deal  of  good 
will,  a  great  deal  of  sincerity,  and  above  all,  a  great 
desire  to  be  agreeable  to  you. 

I  send  a  duplicate  of  this  letter  to  the  Chevalier 
de  Ternay,  and  I  shall  send  the  same  to  Point 
Judith  and  Seaconnet ;  so  that  in  case  you  should 
make  land  at  Rhode  Island,  you  may  at  once  sail 
for  Sandy  Hook.  The  next  letter  which  I  shall  have 
the  honour  to  write  to  you,  will  be  dated  at  head- 
quarters. The  confidence  of  General  Washington, 
which  M.  de  Galvan  has  deserved,  and  the  means 


1779,  1780,  1781.  325 

which  he  has  of  fulfilling  his  instructions,  all  assure 
me  that  you  will  be  satisfied  with  our  choice.  I 
have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  at  Preakness,  July  4th,  1780. 
You  know,  my  dear  general,  that  I  am  very 
anxious  to  see  the  army  well  clothed  for  this  cam- 
paign ;  the  importance  of  such  a  measure  is  on 
every  account  obvious,  and  from  the  knowledge  I 
have  of  the  auxiliary  troops  that  are  coming,  I  can 
so  well  demonstrate  its  necessity  that  I  shall  for  the 
present  but  attend  to  the  means  of  executing  it. 

In  the  space  of  six  months  (we  know  from  ex- 
perience) the  coats  of  our  soldiers  begin  to  be  worn 
out,  so  that  there  is  no  great  inconvenience  in 
giving  some  new  clothes  to  the  draftsmen,  and 
after  they  shall  be  discharged,  the  number  of  the 
remaining  soldiers  will  not  much  exceed  six  or 
seven  thousand  men  ;  as  those  very  men  will  have 
been  completely  clothed  by  the  middle  of  July,  I 
think  I  make  full  allowance  for  them  by  keeping  in 
store  the  seven  thousand  unmade  suits  that  have 
been  shipped  by  Mr.  Ross. 

If  more  are  wanted  in  the  course  of  next  summer, 
I  engage  to  go  over  to  France  and  bring  back  ten 
thousand  complete  suits  properly  conveyed. 

Excluding  wagoners,  servants,  and  all  such  people 
who  do  not  want  to  be  uniformly  clothed,  we  may 
calculate  the  continental  army  to  consist  of  four- 
teen thousand  men  in  the  field. 


326  CORRESPONDENCE, 

There  may  be  found  in  the  army  four  thousand 
coats  and  waistcoats  which  are  not  absolutely  bad, 
four  thousand  stocks  or  cravats,  and  one  thoasand 
pretty  good  hats, 

We  may  get  from  the  stores  fifteen  thousand 
overalls,  ten  thousand  pairs  of  shoes,  three  thousand 
round  hats,  and  some  few  shirts. 

There  are  also  six  or  seven  hundred  coats  of 
every  colour,  to  which  may  be  added  about  three  or 
four  hundred  of  the  same  kind,  and  some  indifferent 
hats  found  in  the  army,  &c. 

A  small  quantity  of  buff  and  red  cloth  to  be 
bought  for  the  facings  of  the  Pennsylvanian  and 
Jersey  tines. 

The  four  thousand  good  hats  in  the  stores  or  in 
the  army  to  be  cut  round,  or  cocked  in  the  form  of 
.caps,  but  to  be  in  an  uniform  manner. 

All  the  articles  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
clothier-general,  to  be  immediately  ordered  to  North 
River,  and,  if  necessary,  wagons  should  be  pressed 
for  their  speedy  transportation. 

I  will  write  a  letter  to  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay, 
wherein  I  will  desire  him  to  send  to  the  most  conve- 
nient place  the  clothing  which  has  been  put  under 
his  convoy. 

We  shall  then  have  ten  thousand  new  coats  and 
waistcoats,  and  four  thousand  old  ones,  the  whole 
of  an  uniform  ground,  ten  thousand  new  hats  and 
stocks,  and  four  thousand  old  ones,  five  and  twenty 
thousand  overalls,  more  than  twenty  thousand  shirts, 
and  thirty  thousand  pairs  of  shoes. 

Each  soldier  enlisted  for  the  war,  let  them  even  be 
ten  thousand,  shall  have,  if  you  choose,  a  new  com- 
plete suit,  one  hat,  one  stock,  two  shirts,  two  pairs 
x)f  overalls,  and  two  pairs  of  shoes. 

Each  draftsman,  if  he  has  not  the  same,  will  at 


1779,  1780,  1781,  327 

least  receive  a  decent  uniform  coat,  one  stock,  one 
hat,  one  pair  of  overalls,  and  two  pairs  of  shoes  ; 
he  will  not  certainly  come  out  but  well  provided 
with  shirts. 

By  the  above  mentioned  arrangement,  there  re- 
main about  a  thousand  coats  of  every  colour,  a  thou- 
sand hats,  which  are  not  absolutely  bad,  and  two 
thousand  pairs  of  shoes  ;  these  I  propose  to  give 
to  such  men  as  will  not  appear  under  arms  in  the 
field,  and,  if  necessary,  some  hunting-shirts  may  be 
added  to  the  said  clothing. 

The  dragoons  are  generally  better  clothed  than 
the  infantry,  and  we  might  very  easily  complete 
their  coats  or  stable-jackets,  as  each  different  regi- 
ment could  adopt  a  different  colour, 

As  soon  as  the  French  clothing  comes,  I  wish 
the  whole  army  to  be  clothed  at  once,  in  ob- 
serving to  give  the  round  hats  to  some  particular 
brigades,  for  the  sake  of  uniformity,  and  to  turn  up 
the  facings  according  to  the  plan  agreed. 

There  will  be  then  no  excuse  for  the  officers  who, 
out  of  neglect,  should  suffer  their  men  to  lose  a 
single  article,  and  the  most  strict  orders  may  be 
given  for  that  purpose. 

The  French  arms  that  are  coming  might  be  put 
in  the  hands  of  soldiers  enlisted  for  the  war, 

I  wish  that  there  was  a  distinction  of  one  woollen 
epaulette  for  the  corporal,  and  two  for  the  Serjeant. 

As  to  the  feathers,  (become  a  distinction  of  ranks,) 
I  wish  such  as  have  been  pointed  out  might  be  for- 
bidden to  other  officers,  and  for  the  light  division  I 
shall  beg  the  leave  of  wearing  a  black  and  red  feather, 
which  I  have  imported  for  the  purpose. 

These  ideas,  my  dear  general,  are  not  given  to 
you  as  a  great  stroke  of  genius,  but  I  heartily  wish 
something  of  the  kind  may  be  thought  proper. 


328  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  MM.  LE  COMTE  DE  ROCHAMBEAU;  AND 
LE  CHEVALIER  DE  TERNAY.* 

Camp,  before  Dobb's  Ferry,  Aug.  9,  1780. 

GENTLEMEN, — I  arrived  two  days  ago  at  head  quar- 
ters, and  in  consequence  of  the  mission  I  was 
.  charged  with,  my  first  care  was  to  render  an  account 
of  our  conversations  ;  but  the  most  minute  details  of 
them  are  so  important,  and  the  fate  of  America,  and 
the  glory  of  France,  depend  so  completely  upon  the 
result  of  our  combinations  here,  that,  in  order  to  feel 
more  certain  of  having  perfectly  understood  your 
meaning,  I  will  submit  to  you  a  summary  of  our 
conversations,  and  entreat  you  to  write  me  word 

*  General  Heath,  who  commanded  the  militia  in  the  state  of 
Rhode  Island,  announced,  on  the  13th  of  July,  the  arrival  of 
the  French  squadron  to  Washington,  who  was  then  stationed 
with  his  staff  at  Bergen.  M.  de  Lafayette  set  out  instantly, 
bearing  instructions  from  the  general-in-chief  dated  the  15th, 
to  meet  the  French  Generals  and  to  concert  with  them.  Wash- 
ington had  long  formed  a  plan  of  offensive  operations,  for  the 
reduction  of  the  town  and  garrison  of  New  York  (letter  to 
General  Greene  the  14th  of  July) ;  this  plan  was  to  take  effect 
on  condition,  first,  that  the  French  and  American  troops  should 
form  a  junction  ;  second,  that  the  French  should  have  a  decided 
naval  superiority  over  the  united  forces  of  Admiral  Graves  and 
Admiral  Arbuthnot.  In  nine  letters,  written  between  the  20th 
of  July  and  the  1st  of  August,  which  would  not  perhaps  have 
offered  much  interest  to  the  reader,  M.  de  Lafayette  rendered 
an  account  of  his  mission,  of  which  a  short  analysis  will  give 
the  principal  details. 

The  first  letters  relate  to  the  multiplied  difficulties  he  encoun- 
tered in  the  states  of  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island,  in  collect- 
ing provisions,  clothing,  arms,  and,  above  all,  powder,  in  sufficient 
quantities  for  the  projected  expedition.  These  difficulties  were 
much  increased  by  the  insufficiency  of  every  kind  of  munition 
brought  by  the  French  squadron,  which  but  half  realized  the 
promises  of  the  French  cabinet.  M.  de  Lafayette  repaired  to 
Newport  the  25th,  and  found  the  army,  which  had  been  disem- 


1779,  1780,  1781  329 

immediately  whether  I  have  rightly  understood  your 
meaning.  Before  quitting  Rhode  Island,  gentlemen, 
I  should  have  taken  this  precaution,  if  General 
Washington's  march  against  New  York  had  not 
obliged  me  to  join  my  division,  at  the  very  moment 
when,  from  our  further  arrangements,  you  most 
required  some  information. 

1st.  I  have  described  to  you  the  actual  situation 
of  America,  the  exhausted  state  in  which  I  found 
her,  and  the  momentary  efforts  she  had  made,  which 
could  only  have  been  produced  by  the  hope  of  being 
delivered,  by  one  decisive  blow,  from  the  tyranny  of 
the  English. 

I  told  you  those  efforts  were  so  enormous,  when 
we  consider  the  state  of  our  finances,  and  the  failure 

barked,  encamped  in  Rhode  Island,  and  M.  de  Rochambeau 
much  occupied  by  the  news  of  an  important  attack,  and,  in  fact, 
four  of  the  enemy's  ships  appeared  on  the  19th,  and  nine  or  ten 
more  two  days  after,  before  Block  Island.  Sir  Henry  Clinton 
had  on  his  side  left  New  York.  Ey  a  combination  of  his  la.nd 
and  sea  forces,  he  intended  to  surprise  the  French  army.  But 
he  experienced  some  delay ;  his  soldiers  could  only  embark  in 
the  transports  the  27th  ;  there  was  a  wrong  understanding  be- 
tween him  and  Admiral  Arbuthnot.  He  learnt  that  the  French 
had  fortified  themselves  at  Newport,  and  that  the  neighbouring 
militia  had  joined  them  ;  and  at  length  that  General  Washington 
was  making  a  rapid  movement  upon  New  York.  He  hastened 
to  pass  over  the  Sound,  and  landed  his  troops  on  the  31st. 

M.  de  Lafayette,  who  had  always  felt  doubtful,  himself,  of 
Clinton's  making  the  attack,  had  then  the  opportunity  of  dis- 
cussing with  the  allies  the  project  for  an  offensive  operation. 
He  was  extremely  anxious  to  put  it  into  execution,  and  General 
Washington  was  desirous  also  of  doing  the  same. 

The  thing  was,  however,  difficult.  Although  the  capture  of  New 
York  had  always  been  one  of  the  objects  of  the  French  minis- 
try, the  instructions  of  M.  de  Rochambeau  prescribed  to  him  to 
attach  great  importance  to  the  station  of  Rhode  Island,  and  to 
endeavour  to  make  it  the  basis  for  his  other  operations.  He  was 
therefore  reluctant  to  quit  it  in  order  to  march  upon  New  York. 
M.  de  Ternay,  at  the  same  time,  considered  it  as  impossible  to 


330  CORRESPONDENCE, 

of  all  our  resources,  that  I  do  not  expect  to  see  them 
renewed  during  another  campaign.  I  added  that  on 
the  1st  of  November  we  should  no  longer  have  any 
militia,  that  the  1st  of  January  one  half  of  our  con- 
tinental army  would  be  disbanded,  and  I  took  the 
liberty  of  saying,  in  my  own  name,  that  I  thought 
it  necessary,  as  a  political  measure,  to  enter  into 
action  this  campaign;  and  this  I  had  ascertained 
also  to  be  the  case,  by  sounding,  on  my  journey,  the 
wishes  of  the  people. 

2nd.  I  confirmed  what  I  have  already  had  the 
honour  of  writing  to  you  respecting  the  continental 
troops,  and  the  militia  whom  we  are  to  have  with 
us.  I  told  you  that  by  counting  the  enemies  in  New 
York  at  fourteen  thousand  men,  of  which  ten  thou- 
sand are  regulars,  and  four  thousand  very  bad  militia, 
I  thought  their  numbers  were  somewhat  exaggerated, 

enter  with  his  ships  of  war  into  the  harbour  of  that  town,  and 
contented  himself  with  promising  a  blockade ;  he  did  not,  be- 
sides, possess  that  naval  superiority  which  could  only  be  ob- 
tained by  the  arrival  of  the  second  division,  which  was  so  vainly 
expected  from  France,  or  by  the  junction  of  the  squadron  of 
M.  de  Guichen,  then  in  the  West  Indies,  to  whom  M.  de  La- 
fayette had  written  to  promote  that  object.  M.  de  Rocham- 
beau's  own  opinion  was,  however,  in  favour  of  offensive  mea- 
sures, and  he  promised  to  conform,  according  to  his  instructions, 
to  the  orders  of  the  general-in-chief.  Everything  was  dis- 
cussed and  regulated  in  two  or  three  conferences,  which  took 
place  from  the  end  of  July  to  the  commencement  of  August, 
between  MM.  de  Rochambeau,  de  Ternay,  and  de  Lafayette. 
The  result  of  these  conferences  is  resumed  in  a  letter,  to  which 
is  annexed  this  note — 

In  the  suppressed  letters  it  is  also  seen  that  the  French  troops 
evinced  the  greatest  ardour,  and  that  the  good  intelligence  that 
reigned  between  the  two  allies  completely  justified  the  expec- 
tations of  M.  de  Lafayette,  and  the  measures  he  had  proposed. 
He  wrote,  in  a  letter  of  the  31st,  to  General  Washington  : — 

"  The  French  army  hate  the  idea  of  staying  here,  and  want 
to  join  you.  They  swear  at  those  that  speak  of  waiting  the  second 


i779,  1780,  1781.  331 

and  that  it  was  necessary  to  begin  by  deducting  the 
sailors  employed  by  Admiral  Arbuthnot.  As  to  the 
fortifications,  I  said  that  the  American  troops  would 
take  charge  of  New  York,  and  that  the  fort  of 
Brooklyn  (upon  which  you  might  operate  in  concert 
with  a  division  of  our  troops)  is  merely  an  earthen 
work  of  four  bastions,  with  a  ditch  and  a  shed,  con- 
taining from  a  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  men,  and 
having  in  front  another  smaller  work,  which  cannot 
contain  more  than  a  hundred  men.  I  added  that 
nothing  could  prevent  a  regular  approach  upon 
Brooklyn,  and  that  that  post  is  the  key  of  New  York. 
3rd.  I  explained  to  you  General  Washington's 
plan,  and  told  you  that  the  moment  you  began  your 
march,  he  would  repair  to  Morrisania,  where,  J 
again  repeat,  he  would  establish  batteries  that  would 
close  the  passage  of  Hell's  Gate,  and  secure  the  one 

division  :  they  are  enraged  to  be  blockaded  in  this  harbour.  As 
to  their  dispositions  towards  the  inhabitants  and  our  troops,  and 
the  dispositions  of  the  inhabitants  and  the  militia  for  them,  they 
are  such  as  I  may  wish.  You  would  have  been  glad  the  other  day 
to  see  two  hundred  and  fifty  of  our  drafts  that  came  on  from 
Connanicut,  without  provisions  and  tents,  and  who  were  mixed 
in  such  a  way  with  the  French  troops,  that  every  French  soldier 
and  officer  took  an  American  with  him,  and  divided  his  bed  and 
his  supper  in  the  most  friendly  manner.  The  patience  and 
sobriety  of  our  militia  are  so  much  admired  by  the  French 
officers,  that,  two  days  ago,  a  French  colonel  called  all  his 
officers  together,  to  take  the  good  examples  which  were  given 
to  the  French  soldiers  by  the  American  troops.  So  far  are 
they  gone  in  their  admiration,  that  they  find  a  great  deal  to  say 
in  favour  of  General  Vamum,  and  his  escort  of  militia  dragoons, 
who  fill  up  all  the  streets  of  Newport.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
French  discipline  is  such,  that  chickens  and  pigs  walk  between 
the  tents  without  being  disturbed,  and  that  there  is  in  the  camp 
a  corn-field,  of  which  not  one  leaf  has  been  touched.  The  Tories 
dont  know  what  to  say  to  it." — (ORIGINAL.) — (Letters  of  Waxh- 
ington  from  the  14th  of  July  to  tJie  5th  of  August,  1780,  and 
Appendixt  Nos.  1  and  8,  VOL.  vn.) 


332  CORRESPONDENCE, 

from  the  continent  to  Long  Island,  so  as  to  have 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  enemy's  ships.  Whilst 
awaiting  your  arrival,  gentlemen,  our  army  would 
entrench  itself  at  Morrisania,  or,  if  possible,  on  the 
Island  of  New  York,  and  would  place  itself  in  a 
situation  to  detach  a  corps  of  troops,  as  soon  as  you 
shall  have  approached  us,  either  by  coming  by 
land  to  Westchester,  and  passing  afterwards  under 
favour  of  our  batteries,  or  by  repairing  by  sea  to 
Wistown,  or  any  other  bay  in  that  neighbourhood. 
General  Washington  would  furnish  a  sufficient  corps 
of  Americans,  and  fifteen  large  cannon,  to  co- 
operate with  your  troops,  and  he  believes  that  with 
these  forces,  and  united  with  artillery,  the  point  of 
Brooklyn  might  soon  be  taken,  and  consequently 
the  town  of  New  York. 

4th.  I  represented  to  you  that  Long  Island  was  a 
rich  country,  which,  even  after  the  destruction 
effected  by  the  English,  still  possesses  some  re- 
sources ;  that  we  might  feel  certain  of  being  joined 
there  by  the  militia  of  the  island ;  and,  in  short, 
that  with  the  assistance  of  our  Morrisanian  under- 
batteries,  and  still  more  with  a  battery  on  the  Island 
of  New  York,  we  should  assure  the  communication 
between  Long  Island  and  the  continent.  From  these 
various  circumstances,  my  own  private  opinion 
would  decidedly  be  to  commence  our  action,  if  the 
fleet  could  be  placed  in  security,  before  we  pos- 
sessed any  superiority  of  naval  force. 

5th.  I  strongly  insisted  upon  the  necessity  of 
taking  possession,  as  soon  as  possible,  of  the  New 
York  harbour.  I  requested  M.  de  Ternay  to  ex- 
amine that  point  with  the  pilots  I  gave  him,  and  by 
the  immense  advantages  of  that  measure  I  hoped 
that,  either  with  the  aid  of  land  forces  on  the  side 
of  Sandy  Hook,  or  merely  by  the  superiority  of  his 


1779,  1780,  1781.  333 

own  naval  force,  he  would  be  enabled  to  accomplish 
the  object  we  had  feared  his  attempting  when  we 
expected  him  with  Admiral  Graves. 

6th.  When  proposing  to  you  to  send  your  maga- 
zines to  Providence,  I  told  you  that  Rhode  Island 
was  completely  useless  to  the  Americans,  but  very 
important  for  the  succours  arriving  from  France, 
in  case,  however,  no  army  should  be  necessary 
to  preserve  it ;  that  if  the  English  were  to  commit 
the  fault  of  taking  it,  a  superior  fleet,  aided  by 
forces  from  the  continent,  would  always  have  the 
power  of  retaking  it. 

7th.  I  ended  by  having  the  honour  of  telling  you, 
gentlemen,  that  in  order  to  operate  upon  New  York 
it  would  be  necessary  not  to  commence  later  than 
the  first  days  of  September  ;  and,  after  this  explana- 
tion, I  said  that  General  Washington,  feeling  the 
most  perfect  confidence  in  you,  was  very  desirous 
of  having  your  opinion  upon  the  subject,  and  would 
only  undertake  what  might  appear  to  you  most  ad- 
vantageous. 

This,  gentlemen,  is  what  I  had  the  honour  of 
saying  to  you,  and  this  is  what  you  did  me  the  ho- 
nour to  reply  to : — 

1st.  That  the  succour  sent  to  the  United  States 
was  anything  rather  than  trifling ;  that  the  second 
division  was  to  set  out  a  short  time  after  you,  and 
that  it  might  justly  be  expected  every  instant ;  that 
it  would  consist  at  least  of  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred, and,  in  all  probability,  of  a  still  greater  number 
of  troops  ;  that  it  was  to  be  sent  by  three  ships,  but 
that,  according  to  all  appearances,  a  larger  number 
of  vessels  would  be  granted ;  that  the  only  reason 
which  could  prevent  its  arriving  before  the  1st  of 
September,  would  be  the  impossibility  of  a  junction 
between  the  French  and  Spanish  fleets,  and  that,  in 


334  CORRESPONDENCE, 

the  latter  case,  it  would  arrive,  at  farthest,  by  the  end 
of  autumn,  and  would  then  be  a  great  deal  stronger  ; 
that  M.  de  Guichen  has  been  apprised  of  our  pro- 
jects, and  has  received  the  order  to  facilitate  them ; 
that,  consequently,  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay  has 
written  to  him  for  the  five  promised  vessels  ;  and 
that,  from  all  these  circumstances,  you  hoped  to  be 
able  to  act  before  the  end  of  the  campaign,  but  did 
not  doubt,  at  least,  having  the  power  of  furnishing 
us  with  very  superior  forces  for  this  winter,  and  for 
the  next  campaign. 

2nd.  The  project  of  attacking  Brooklyn  was  ex- 
tremely agreeable  to  you,  and  appeared  to  you  the 
most  proper  measure  for  the  reduction  of  New 
York  ;  but  you  think  that  we  ought  to  have  upon 
that  Island  a  force  at  least  equal  to  that  which  the 
enemy  may  offer  us,  and  you  added  that  by  leaving 
a  counterfeit  at  New  York,  they  may  fall  on  the 
corps  of  Long  Island,  with  nearly  their  whole  army, 
which  contingency,  you  will  perceive,  had  been, 
already  provided  for  by  Washington's  arrangements. 

3rd.  You  appeared  to  me  doubtful  whether  it 
would  be  possible  to  stop  the  enemy  at  the  passage 
of  Morrisania,  but  on  this  point  I  can  give  you  no 
decisive  information.  The  idea  of  repairing  by  land 
to  Westchester  appeared  less  agreeable  to  you  than 
that  of  going  by  sea  into  a  bay  of  Long  Island.  As 
to  the  landing,  the  Count  de  Rochambeau  looks 
upon  it  as  a  very  long  operation,  and,  from  his  own 
experience  on  the  subject,  he  believes  that  it  would 
require  nearly  three  weeks  to  land  an  army,  with  all 
its  accoutrements,  for  a  campaign  and  siege.  You 
desired  to  have  every  possible  information  concern- 
ing Brooklyn,  in  order  to  be  able  to  make  calcula- 
tions accordingly  for  the  artillery  and  engineer 
service. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  335 

You  appeared  to  me  to  consider  a  naval  supe* 
riority  as  necessary,  even  at  the  commencement  of 
the  campaign ;  but  it  is  true  that  this  idea  may 
partly  proceed  from  your  doubts  relating  to  the 
communication  concerning  Morrisania. 

5th.  The  Chevalier  de  Ternay  conceives  it  would 
be  difficult  to  take  possession  of  New  York  har- 
bour, and  hopes  to  accomplish  the  same  object  by 
the  situation  in  which  he  has  placed  his  cruisers. 
He  does  not  think  that  his  seventy-fours  can  enter, 
but  from  the  difference  of  opinion  which  I  ventured 
to  express,  as  to  the  importance  at  least  of  occupy- 
ing the  harbour,  he  told  me  he  would  again  attend 
to  this  project.  As  to  his  manner  of  protecting  the 
disembarkation,  it  would  be  to  cruise  in  the  Sound, 
and  his  frigates,  and  one  or  two  vessels,  would  enter 
into  the  bay  at  the  place  where  the  troops  should 
land. 

6th.  Rhode  Island  appears  to  you  a  very  important 
point  to  preserve  ;  but  if  M.  de  Ternay  should  have 
the  superiority,  you  think,  as  we  do,  that  it  would 
be  unnecessary  to  leave  a  garrison  there  during  the 
attack  of  New  York.  The  Count  de  Rochambeau 
desired  me  to  assure  General  Washington  that,  in 
every  case,  upon  receiving  an  order,  he  would 
instantly  repair  to  that  spot  which  the  commander- 
in-chief  should  appoint.  I  told  him,  also,  that  the 
French  generals  wished  that  it  were  possible  to  have 
an  interview  with  him. 

At  the  termination  of  our  conversation,  we 
decided  upon  the  following  measures,  of  which  I 
consequently  gave  an  account  to  General  Wash- 
ington. 

1st.  You  have  written  to  France  to  urge  the 
speedy  arrival  and  augmentation  of  the  promised 
succours.  You  have  already  asked  for  the  five 


336  CORRESPONDENCE, 

vessels  of  M.  de  Guichen,  and  1  have  also  taken 
charge  of  another  letter,  which  repeats  the  same 
request,  and  which  will  pass  through  the  hands  of 
the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne. 

2d.  As  soon  as  you  receive  news  of  the  arrival 
either  of  the  second  division  or  of  the  ships  from 
the  West  Indies,  you  will  immediately  despatch  a 
messenger  to  General  Washington  ;  and,  whilst  our 
army  is  marching  towards  Westchester,  and  your 
own  making  preparation  for  embarkation,  M.  de 
Ternay  will  endeavour  to  effect  his  junction. 

3d.  If  the  French  fleet  should  be  equal  to  that 
of  the  enemy,  it  will  immediately  enter  into  a 
contest  for  superiority ;  if  it  should  be  superior,  it 
will  take  the  French  troops  instantly  on  board, 
and  carry  them  towards  the  bay  intended  for  their 
landing. 

4th.  A  spot  shall  be  chosen  from  whence  the 
ships  may  protect  the  operation,  and  which  will  also 
afford  to  the  troops  first  landed  a  position  well 
sheltered  by  the  fire  from  the  ships,  and  behind 
which  the  remainder  of  the  troops  may  join  them ; 
or  by  advancing  with  all  the  landed  troops,  the  right 
and  left  wings  may  be  so  placed  as  to  cover  the  last 
of  the  disembarkation.  The  spot  selected  shall  be 
situated  in  such  a  manner  that  the  corps  of  the 
American  army  intended  for  this  particular  expe- 
dition, may  arrive  and  land  at  the  very  moment  of 
the  landing  of  the  Count  de  Rochambeau,  and  that 
their  general  may  be  able  to  co-operate  instantly 
with  the  French  general. 

5th.  According  to  the  number  of  French  troops 
in  a  state  to  operate,  General  Washington  will 
either  conduct  himself,  or  send  to  Long  Island,  a 
sufficient  number  of  troops  to  obtain  a  force  nearly 
equal  to  that  of  the  enemy,  and  he  will  also  have  a 


1779,   1780,   1781.  337 

corps  of  troops  of  nearly  the  same  strength  as  the 
one  opposed  to  him,  either  at  Westchester  or  in  the 
Island  of  New  York. 

6th.  The  Chevalier  de  Ternay  will  examine,  atten- 
tively, the  possibility  of  forcing  the  passage  of 
Sandy  Hook,  and  if  it  be  deemed  practicable,  will 
attain  that  important  end. 

7th.  As  soon  as  the  arms,  clothes,  and  ammu- 
nition, belonging  to  the  United  States,  shall  arrive, 
the  Chevalier  de  Ternay  will  have  the  goodness, 
without  giving  them  time  to  enter  the  harbour,  to 
send  them  with  a  convoy  of  frigates,  or,  if  the  bat- 
teries be  not  yet  erected,  by  a  ship  of  the  line,  to 
that  point  in  the  Sound  which  General  Washington 
may  judge  proper  to  select. 

8th.  The  French  fleet  will  take  charge  of  the 
boats  we  shall  require,  which  will  be  delivered  up  to 
them  at  Providence  ;  they  will  also  land  us  all  the 
powder  that  they  can  do  without  themselves ;  this 
does  not  amount,  at  present,  to  more  than  thirty 
thousand  pounds. 

9th.  I  shall  send  to  the  French  generals  all  the 
correct  information  I  may  obtain  respecting  the 
passage  of  the  Sound  by  Hell  Gate ;  I  shall  commu- 
nicate to  them,  likewise,  all  the  details  relating  to 
Brooklyn,  and  they  will  send  us  the  calculations 
which  have  been  made  in  consequence  by  the  artil- 
lery and  engineers, — from  thence  we  shall  decide 
what  must  be  sent  with  the  American  Long  Island 
corps  for  these  two  companies.  Some  doubts  are 
entertained  by  the  French  generals  concerning  the 
two  points  of  this  last  article ;  I  shall  send  them 
from  home  some  information  respecting  that  subject, 
of  which  I  had  before  the  honour  of  speaking  to 
them. 

10th.  The  invalids,  magazines,  &c.,  shall  be  sent 

VOL.  I.  Z 


338  CORRESPONDEiNCE, 

to  Providence,  and  the  batteries  of  that  river  are  to 
be  placed  by  us  in  proper  order.  It  is  clearly 
specified  that  the  instant  the  expected  naval  supe- 
riority of  force  arrives,  the  French  are  not  to  lose 
a  single  day  in  commencing  their  co-operative 
measures. 

Such  is,  gentlemen,  the  abridgment  of  the  ac- 
count rendered  to  General  Washington ;  and  it  will 
serve  as  the  basis  for  his  preparations,  as  well  as  a 
rule  for  the  future  elucidations  you  may  receive. 
From  the  confidence  with  which  he  has  honoured 
me,  I  was  obliged  to  settle  finally  all  that  it  was 
possible  for  me  to  arrange  with  you, — the  fate 
of  America,  in  short,  appears  to  be  dependent  upon 
your  activity  or  repose  during  the  remainder  of  this 
summer.  I  attach  the  greatest  importance  to  all 
your  ideas  being  clearly  rendered,  and  I  entreat  you 
to  lose  no  time  in  writing  a  few  words  to  say 
whether  I  have  understood  your  meaning. 

A  short  time  after  my  departure,  gentlemen,  you 
must  have  learnt  that  General  Clinton,  fearing  for 
New  York,  had  been  obliged,  by  a  sudden  move- 
ment of  our  army,  to  enclose  himself  in  that  island. 
The  army  is  at  present  near  Dobb's  Ferry,  ten  miles 
above  King's  Bridge,  on  the  right  side  of  the  North 
River,  and  our  advance  guard  is  nearly  three  miles 
before  it. 

If  General  Clinton,  with  a  force  and  position 
equal  to  our  own,  should  judge  proper  to  fight,  we 
shall  give  him  a  favourable  opportunity  of  doing  so, 
and  he  may  take  advantage  of  that  kind  of  chal- 
lenge to  make  the  most  impartial  trial  of  the  Eng- 
lish and  Hessian  against  the  American  troops. 

I  shall  wait  here,  most  impatiently,  gentlemen, 
your  answer  to  this  letter.  I  shall  have  the  honour 
of  communicating  to  you  the  various  advices  General 


1779,  1780,   1781.  339 

Washington  may  find  it  expedient  to  send  you. 
The  first  intelligence  of  the  arrival  of  the  ships  is 
very  necessary  to  our  peace  of  mind,  and  from  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  our  situation,  I  assure  you, 
gentlemen,  in  my  own  private  name  and  person, 
that  it  is  important  to  act  during  this  campaign, 
that  all  the  troops  you  may  hope  to  obtain  from 
France  next  year,  as  well  as  all  the  projects  of  which 
you  may  flatter  yourselves,  will  never  repair  the 
fatal  consequences  of  our  present  inactivity.  With- 
out resources  in  America,  all  foreign  succours 
would  prove  of  no  avail ;  and  although,  in  every 
case,  you  may  rely  wholly  upon  us,  I  think  it  im- 
portant to  take  advantage  of  the  moment  when  you 
may  find  here  a  co-operation,  without  which  you 
will  not  be  able  to  achieve  anything  for  the  Ame- 
rican cause. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 

P.S.  Such,  gentlemen,  is  the  long  official  letter 
which  I  have  the  honour  of  writing  to  you,  but  I 
cannot  send  it  without  thanking  you  for  the  kind- 
ness you  expressed  for  me  at  Rhode  Island,  and 
presenting  you  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  and 
respectful  attachment. 


FROM  THE  COUNT  DE  ROCHAMBEAU  TO 
M.  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Newport,  August  12th,  1780. 

I  RECEIVED,  my  dear  marquis,  the  letter  you  did 
me  the  honour  of  writing  the  9th  of  August ;  per- 
mit me  to  send  you,  in  reply,  the  one  I  had  the 
honour  of  addressing  to  our  general  on  the  10th  of 
this  month,  to  express  to  him  the  opinion  you 

z  2 


340  CORRESPONDENCE, 

asked  for  by  his  desire.  I  am  only  now,  therefore, 
waiting  for  his  last  orders,  and  I  have  earnestly  re- 
quested him  to  grant  me  the  favour  of  an  interview, 
that  the  admiral  and  I  may  receive  from  his  own 
lips  the  last  plan  he  has  decided  upon  ;  we  should 
do  more  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  conversation  than 
we  could  do  hy  multiplied  despatches.  I  am  as 
thoroughly  convinced  as  any  person  can  be  of  the 
truth  of  what  your  letters  mentioned,  that  it  was  his 
marching  which  had  detained  Clinton,  who  intended 
to  come  and  attack  us  ;  but  I  must  observe  to  you 
also,  at  the  same  time,  that  there  was  much  reason 
to  hope  that  he  would  have  been  well  beaten  here, 
and  during  that  time  our  general  would  have  taken 
New  York.  As  to  your  observation,  my  dear 
marquis,  that  the  position  of  the  French  at  Rhode 
Island  is  of  no  use  to  the  Americans,  I  reply  : — 

First,  That  I  never  heard  it  had  been  injurious 
to  any  one  of  them. 

Second,  That  it  would  be  well  to  reflect  that  the 
position  of  the  French  corps  may  have  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  Clinton's  evacuation  of  the  con- 
tinent, when  he  has  been  obliged  to  confine  himself 
to  Long  Island  and  New  York  ;  that,  in  short,  while 
the  French  fleet  is  guarded  here  by  an  assembled 
and  a  superior  naval  force,  your  American  shores 
are  undisturbed,  your  privateers  are  making  con- 
siderable prizes,  and  your  maritime  commerce  en- 
joys perfect  liberty.  It  appears  to  me,  that,  in  so 
comfortable  a  situation,  it  is  easy  to  wait  patiently 
the  naval  and  land  forces  that  the  king  assured  me 
should  be  sent ;  that,  in  short,  as  I  have  received 
no  letter  from  France  since  my  departure,  I  can 
only  flatter  myself  that  the  second  division  is 
already  on  the  road,  and  is  bringing  me  despatches, 
since,  if  it  had  been  blockaded  by  superior  forces, 


1779,   1780,   1781.  341 

some  sort  of  advice  would  have  been  sent  me  from 
the  shores  of  France.  I  fear  those  savannahs  and 
other  events  of  the  kind,  of  which  I  have  seen  so 
many  during  the  course  of  my  life.  There  exists  a 
principle  in  war,  as  in  geometry,  vis  unitafortior.  I 
am,  however,  awaiting  orders  from  our  generalissimo, 
and  I  entreat  him  to  grant  the  admiral  and  myself  an 
interview.  I  will  join  the  latter's  despatch  to  this 
packet  as  soon  as  I  receive  it. 

I  beg  you  to  accept,  my  dear  marquis,  the  as- 
surance of  my  sincerest  affection. 


TO  MM.  DE  ROCHAMBEAU  AND  DE  TERNAY. 

Camp,  August  18th,  1780. 

GENTLEMEN, — As  I  wish  to  submit  the  same  ob- 
servations to  you  both,  permit  me  to  address  this 
letter  to  you  in  common,  and  permit  me  also  (with- 
out pretending  to  complain  of  the  interpretation 
you  have  given  to  my  last  letter)  to  accuse  myself 
of  having  explained  my  own  meaning  in  a  very 
awkward  manner. 

On  my  return  here,  gentlemen,  General  Washing- 
ton asked  me  for  an  account  of  our  conversations. 
You  know  that  he  had  given  me  full  powers  to  ex- 
plain to  you  our  situation,  and  to  settle  finally  the 
plan  of  the  campaign.  When  he  knew  that  you 
wished  to  confer  with  him,  he  again  wrote  me  word 
that  I  was  to  arrange  everything  in  his  name,  as  if 
he  were  himself  present.  It  was  natural  that  he 
should  wish  to  know  what  I  said  to  you,  what  you 
replied,  and  what  we  had  finally  decided  upon.  He 
thought  that  the  best  manner  of  collecting  our  ideas 


342  CORRESPONDENCE, 

was  to  write  them  down  ;  and  I,  fearing  to  say  a 
single  word  that  was  not  precisely  according  to 
your  intentions,  thought  it  more  polite,  more  re- 
spectful towards  you,  to  submit  to  your  examination 
the  written  account  which  my  general  had  re- 
quested. I  may  add,  at  this  place,  gentlemen,  that 
the  general,  thinking  that  you  were  only  acquainted 
with  our  position  from  what  I  had  the  honour  of 
saying  to  you,  did  not  consider  the  previous  let- 
ters he  had  received  as  answers  to  what  I  had 
undertaken  to  explain  to  you.  All  that  I  said  to 
you,  gentlemen,  concerning  Rhode  Island,  the 
passage  of  Hell  Gate,  the  harbour  of  New  York,  and 
the  disembarkation,  was  from  the  reiterated  orders 
of  General  Washington  ;  and  as  to  the  political 
opinions,  which  I  will  dispense  myself  with  express- 
ing in  future,  because  they  must  come  from  the 
Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  I  assure  you  that  if,  as 
your  own  countryman,  it  was  more  delicate  for  me 
to  give  them  in  my  own  name,  they  are  not  less 
conformable  to  the  ideas  of  General  Washington. 
The  only  time  when  I  took  the  liberty  of  speaking 
for  myself  was,  when,  wearied  by  the  questions  that 
have  been  made  to  me  by  a  thousand  American  in- 
dividuals upon  the  second  division,  and  the  supe- 
riority of  the  English  at  this  present  period,  I  yielded 
to  my  ardent  wish  of  entering  at  once  on  action, 
and  to  the  hope  of  commencing  our  operations  im- 
mediately. If  I  have  been  to  blame,  I  think  it  can 
only  be  in  this  one  instance. 

I  believe  that  the  march  towards  New  York  has 
recalled  Clinton  from  the  bay  of  Huntington,  but  I 
believe  that  if  he  had  been  guilty  of  the  folly  of 
attacking  you,  he  would  have  both  lost  at  Rhode 
Island  a  portion  of  his  army,  owing  to  our  French 
troops,  and  the  Island  of  New  York  by  our  attack. 


1779,   1780,   1781.  343 

This  was  my  opinion,  and  the  one  I  found  most  pre- 
valent here,  and  I  also  think  that  it  is  very  unfor- 
tunate for  the  common  cause  that  General  Clinton 
did  not  pursue  his  enterprise.  Is  it  I  who  could 
imagine  the  contrary  ? — I  who  have  always  been 
laughed  at  for  thinking  it  impossible  that  the  French 
could  ever  be  beaten  ! 

When,  after  having  received  three  letters  from 
General  Washington,  and  held  twenty  conversa- 
tions with  him  on  the  subject,  I  thought  it  proper 
to  tell  you  in  what  point  of  view  we  looked  upon 
Rhode  Island,  I  do  not  think  it  ever  occurred  to 
me  to  say  you  had  injured  any  person  by  staying 
there,  and  as  to  the  advantage  America  derives  from 
having  a  French  squadron  and  French  troops,  al- 
low me  to  mention,  gentlemen,  that  M.  d'Estaing 
found  me  formerly  well  disposed  to  acknowledge 
this  truth  ;  that  for  more  than  eighteen  months, 
and  especially  since  the  commencement  of  last  sum- 
mer, I  held  a  regular  correspondence  with  the 
French  government,  to  represent  to  it  the  utility  of 
such  a  measure ;  and,  although  the  gratitude  of  the 
Americans  does  not  by  any  means  require  being 
excited,  few  hours  pass  without  my  employing  a 
part  of  my  time  in  pointing  out  to  them  the  advan- 
tages that  you  may  procure  for  them  even  when  in- 
ferior to  the  hostile  forces,  and  in  which  I  do  not 
take  the  measures  most  proper  to  publish  this  truth 
from  the  extremity  of  Canada  to  that  of  Florida,  as 
I  may  prove  to  you  by  the  few  copies  of  letters 
which  I  have  preserved.  - 

As  to  the  political  opinions  with  which  I  took  the 
liberty  of  closing  my  letter,  although  I  acknowledge 
having  committed  the  fault  of  expressing  them  to 
you,  I  am  certain  beforehand  that,  from  an  in- 
timate acquaintance  with  the  American  character 


344  CORRESPONDENCE, 

and  resources,  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne   and 
General  Washington  are  both  of  my  opinion. 

I  will  do  all  that  depends  upon  me,  gentlemen, 
to  prevail  upon  the  general  to  meet  you  half  way  ; 
but,  from  his  proximity  to  the  enemy,  and  from 
the  present  situation  of  the  army,  which  he  has 
never  quitted  since  the  commencement  of  the  war, 
I  fear  it  will  appear  to  him  very  difficult  to  absent 
himself.  Whenever  you  have  any  orders  to  give 
me,  look  upon  me  as  a  man  who,  you  must  well 
know,  idolizes  his  own  country  with  a  peculiar  de- 
gree of  enthusiasm,  and  who  unites  to  that  feeling 
(the  strongest  one  of  his  heart)  the  respectful  affec- 
tion with  which  he  has  the  honour  of  being,  &c. 


TO  M.  DE  ROCHAMBEAU. 

Camp,  August  18th,  1780. 

HAVING  written,  sir,  one  letter  to  you  in  common 
with  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay,  permit  me  to  address 
myself  to  you  with  the  frankness  authorised  by  the 
warm  affection  I  have  felt,  and  endeavoured  to 
prove  to  you,  from  my  earliest  youth.  Although 
your  letter  expresses  your  usual  kindness  for  me, 
I  observed  a  few  sentences  in  it  which,  without 
being  individually  applied  to  me,  prove  to  me  that 
my  last  epistle  displeased  you.  After  having  been 
engaged  night  and  day  for  four  months,  in  preparing 
the  minds  of  the  people  to  receive,  respect,  and 
love  you ;  after  all  I  have  said  to  make  them  sensi- 
ble of  the  advantages  they  derived  from  your  resi- 
dence at  Rhode  Island,  and  after  having  made  use 
of  my  own  popularity  to  propagate  this  truth ;  in 
short,  sir,  after  all  that  my  patriotism  and  affection 


1779,  1780,  1781.  345 

for  you  have  dictated  to  me,  my  feelings  were  un- 
avoidably hurt  by  your  giving  such  an  unfavourable 
turn  to  my  letter,  and  one  which  had  never  for  a 
moment  occurred  to  myself.  If  in  that  letter  I  have 
offended  or  displeased  you ;  if,  for  example,  you 
disapprove  of  that  written  account  which  General 
Washington  asked  for,  and  which  I  thought  I  ought 
to  submit  to  you,  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour 
that  I  thought  I  was  doing  a  very  simple  thing  ;  so 
simple,  indeed,  that  I  should  have  considered  I  was 
wronging  you  by  not  doing  it. 

If  you  had  heard  that  second  division  spoken  of, 
sir,  as  I  have  done  ;  if  you  knew  how  strongly  the 
English  and  the  Tories  endeavour  to  persuade  the 
Americans  that  France  only  wishes  to  kindle,  with- 
out extinguishing  the  flame,  you  would  readily  con- 
ceive that  my  desire  of  silencing  those  reports 
might  have  inspired  me,  perhaps,  with  too  much 
warmth.  I  will  confide  to  you  that,  thus  placed  in 
a  foreign  country,  my  self-love  is  wounded  by  seeing 
the  French  blockaded  at  Rhode  Island,  and  the  pain 
I  feel  induces  me  to  wish  the  operations  to  com- 
mence. As  to  what  you  write  to  me,  sir,  respect- 
ing Rhode  Island,  if  I  were  to  give  you  an  account 
of  all  I  have  said,  written,  and  inserted  in  the  public 
papers  ;  if  you  had  heard  me,  frequently  in  the  midst 
of  a  group  of  American  peasants,  relating  the  conduct 
of  the  French  at  Newport ;  if  you  were  only  to  pass 
three  days  here  with  me,  you  would  see  the  injus- 
tice of  your  reproach. 

If  I  have  offended  you,  I  ask  your  pardon,  for 
two  reasons  ;  first,  because  I  am  sincerely  attached 
to  you  ;  and  secondly,  because  it  is  my  earnest  wish 
to  do  everything  I  can  to  please  you  here.  As  a 
private  individual,  in  all  places  your  commands  will 


346  CORRESPONDENCE, 

ever  be  laws  to  me,  and  for  the  meanest  French- 
man here  I  would  make  every  possible  sacrifice 
rather  than  not  contribute  to  their  glory,  comfort, 
and  union  with  the  Americans.  Such,  sir,  are  my 
feelings,  and  although  you  have  imagined  some 
which  are  very  foreign  to  my  heart,  I  forget  that 
injustice  to  think  only  of  my  sincere  attachment  to 
you. 

P.  S.  I  am  far  from  thinking,  sir,  that  I  am  in 
any  degree  the  cause  of  the  sentiments  that  are  ex- 
perienced in  this  country  for  yourself  and  the 
officers  of  your  army.  I  am  not  so  vain  as  to  have 
entertained  such  an  idea ;  but  I  have  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  knowing  you,  and  I  was,  therefore,  able 
to  foresee  what  would  occur  on  your  arrival,  and  to 
circulate  the  opinions  adopted  by  all  those  who 
have  personally  known  you.  I  am  convinced,  and 
no  one  here  can  deny  it,  that  but  for  your  arrival, 
American  affairs  would  have  gone  on  badly  this 
campaign ;  but,  in  our  present  situation,  this  alone 
is  not  sufficient,  and  it  is  important  to  gain  advan- 
tages over  the  enemy.  Believe,  that  when  I  wrote 
in  my  own  name,  that  opinion  did  not  belong  to  my- 
self alone  ;  my  only  fault  was  writing  with  warmth, 
in  an  official  manner,  that  which  you  would  have 
forgiven  on  account  of  my  youth,  if  I  had  addressed 
it  as  a  friend  to  yourself  alone  ;  but  my  intentions 
were  so  pure,  that  I  was  as  much  surprised  as 
pained  by  your  letter,  and  that  is  saying  a  great 
deal. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  347 


FROM  M.  DE  ROCHAMBEAU. 

Newport,  August  27th,  1780. 

PERMIT  an  aged  father,  my  dear  marquis,  to  reply 
to  you  as  he  would  do  to  a  son  whom  he  tenderly 
loves  and  esteems.  You  know  me  well  enough  to 
feel  convinced  that  I  do  not  require  being  excited, 
that  when  I,  at  my  age,  formed  a  resolution  founded 
upon  military  and  state  reasons,  and  supported  by 
circumstances,  no  possible  instigation  can  induce 
me  to  change  my  mind  without  a  positive  order 
from  my  general.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  his  de- 
spatches, on  the  contrary,  inform  me  that  my  ideas 
correspond  substantially  with  his  own,  as  to  all 
those  points  which  would  allow  us  to  turn  this  into 
an  offensive  operation,  and  that  we  only  differ  in 
relation  to  some  small  details,  on  which  a  slight  ex- 
planation, or  his  commands,  would  suffice  to  remove 
all  difficulties  in  an  instant.  As  a  Frenchman,  you 
feel  humiliated,  my  dear  friend,  at  seeing  an  English 
squadron  blockading  in  this  country,  with  a  decided 
superiority  of  frigates  and  ships,  the  Chevalier 
de  Ternay's  squadron ;  but  console  yourself,  my 
dear  marquis,  the  port  of  Brest  has  been  blockaded 
for  two  months  by  an  English  fleet,  and  this  is  what 
prevents  the  second  division  from  setting  out  under 
the  escort  of  M.  de  Bougainville.  If  you  had  made 
the  two  last  wars,  you  would  have  heard  nothing 
spoken  of  but  these  same  blockades ;  I  hope  that 
M.  de  Guichen,  on  one  side,  and  M.  de  Gas  ton,  on 
the  other,  will  revenge  us  for  these  momentary 
mortifications. 

It  is  always  right,  my  dear  marquis,  to  believe 
that  Frenchmen  are  invincible ;  but  I,  after  an  ex- 
perience of  forty  years,  am  going  to  confide  a  great 


348  CORRESPONDENCE, 

secret  to  you :  there  are  no  men  more  easily  beaten 
when  they  have  lost  confidence  in  their  chiefs,  and 
they  lose  it  instantly  when  their  lives  have  been 
compromised,  owing  to  any  private  or  personal 
ambition.  If  I  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  have 
retained  their  confidence  until  the  present  moment, 
I  may  declare,  upon  the  most  scrupulous  examina- 
tion of  my  own  conscience,  that  I  owe  it  entirely 
to  this  fact,  that,  of  about  fifteen  thousand  men  who 
have  been  killed  or  wounded  under  my  command, 
of  various  ranks,  and  in  the  most  bloody  actions,  I 
have  not  to  reproach  myself  with  having  caused 
the  death  of  a  single  man  for  my  own  personal 
advantage. 

You  wrote  to  the  Chevalier  de  Chastellux,  my 
dear  marquis,  that  the  interview  I  requested  of  our 
general  has  embarrassed  him,  because  it  only  be- 
comes necessary  after  the  arrival  of  the  second 
division,  when  there  will  be  quite  time  enough  to 
act.  But  you  must  surely  have  forgotten  that  I 
have  unceasingly  requested  that  interview  imme- 
diately, and  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  he, 
the  admiral,  and  I,  should  concert  together  all 
our  projects  and  details,  that  in  case  one  of  the 
three  chances  should  occur  and  enable  us  to  act 
offensively,  our  movements  may  be  prompt  and 
decisive.  In  either  of  these  three  cases,  my  dear 
marquis,  you  will  find  in  your  old  prudent  father 
some  remnants  of  vigour  and  activity.  Be  ever 
convinced  of  my  sincere  affection,  and  that  if  I 
pointed  out  to  you  very  gently  what  displeased  me 
in  your  last  despatch,  I  felt  at  the  time  convinced 
that  the  warmth  of  your  heart  had  somewhat  im- 
paired the  coolness  of  your  judgment.  Retain  that 
latter  quality  in  the  council-room,  and  reserve  all 


1779,  1780,  1781.  349 

the  former  for  the  hour  of  action.  It  is  always  the 
aged  father,  Rochambeau,  who  is  addressing  his 
dear  son  Lafayette,  whom  he  loves,  and  will  ever 
love  and  esteem  until  his  latest  breath. 


TO  THE  CHEVALIER,  DE  LA  LUZEKNE. 

Robinson  House,  opposite  W.  Point,  Sept.  26,  1780. 
WHEN  I  parted  from  you  yesterday,  sir,  to  come 
and  breakfast  here  with  General  Arnold,  we  were 
far  from  foreseeing  the  event  which  I  am  now  going 
to  relate  to  you.*  You  will  shudder  at  the  danger 
to  which  we  have  been  exposed ;  you  will  admire 
the  miraculous  chain  of  unexpected  events  and  sin- 
gular chances  that  have  saved  us  ;  but  you  will  be 

*  The  project  of  an  expedition  against  New  York  had  not 
been  abandoned :  it  was  still  canvassed  by  letter.  General 
Washington  agreed  with  the  French  generals  as  to  the  neces- 
sity of  waiting  for  a  naval  reinforcement.  The  latter  insisted 
upon  having  a  conference  with  the  General  and  M.  de  La- 
fayette. (See  especially  Washington's  Letter  of  the  21st 
August,  vol.  vii.  p.  169.)  That  long  deferred  conference  was 
at  length  granted,  and  it  was  fixed  that  it  should  take  place  at 
Hartford  (Connecticut).  Washington  left  his  army  the  18th 
of  September.  It  will  be  recollected  that  it  was  his  interview 
with  Arnold  at  the  passage  of  the  Hudson,  that  induced  the 
latter  to  take  the  steps  which  led  to  the  discovery  of  the  con- 
spiracy. (See  above.)  Some  days  after,  M.  de  Rochambeau 
wrote  thus  to  M.  de  Lafayette  : — 

"  Providence  has  declared  itself  for  us,  my  dear  marquis, — 
and  that  important  interview,  which  I  have  so  long  wished  for, 
and  which  has  given  me  so  much  pleasure,  has  been  crowned 
by  a  peculiar  mark  of  the  favour  of  Heaven.  The  Chevalier 
de  la  Luzerne  has  not  yet  arrived ;  I  took  the  liberty  of  open- 
ing your  letter  to  him,  in  which  I  found  all  the  details  of  that 
horrible  conspiracy,  and  I  am  penetrated  with  mingled  feelings, 
of  grief  at  the  event  itself,  and  joy  at  its  discovery. 


350  CORRESPONDENCE, 

still  more  astonished  when  you  learn  by  what  in- 
struments this  conspiracy  has  been  formed.  West 
Point  was  sold — and  sold  by  Arnold  :  the  same 
man  who  formerly  acquired  glory  by  rendering  such 
immense  services  to  his  country.  He  had  lately  en- 
tered into  a  horrible  compact  with  the  enemy,  and 
but  for  the  accident  that  brought  us  here  at  a  certain 
hour,  but  for  the  combination  of  chances  that  threw 
the  adjutant-general  of  the  English  army  in  the 
hands  of  some  peasants,  beyond  the  limits  of  our 
stations,  West  Point  and  the  North  River,  we  should 
both  at  present,  in  all  probability,  be  in  possession 
of  the  enemy. 

When  we  set  out  yesterday  for  Fishkill,  we  were 
preceded  by  one  of  my  aides-de-camp,  and  one  of 
General  Knox's,  who  found  General  Arnold  and  his 
wife  at  breakfast,  and  sat  flown  at  table  with  them. 
Whilst  they  were  together,  two  letters  were  given 
to  Arnold,  which  apprised  him  of  the  arrestration  of 
the  spy.  He  ordered  a  horse  to  be  saddled,  went 
into  his  wife's  room  to  tell  her  he  was  ruined,  and 
desired  his  aide-de-camp  to  inform  General  Wash- 
ington that  he  was  going  to  West  Point  and  would 
return  in  the  course  of  an  hour. 

On  our  arrival  here,  we  crossed  the  river  and 
went  to  examine  the  works.  You  may  conceive 
our  astonishment  when  we  learnt,  on  our  return,  that 
the  arrested  spy  was  Major  Andre,  adjutant-general 
of  the  English  army ;  and  when  amongst  his  papers 
were  discovered  the  copy  of  an  important  council  of 
war,  the  state  of  the  garrison  and  works,  and  obser- 
vations upon  various  means  of  attack  and  defence, 
the  whole  in  Arnold's  own  hand  writing. 

The  adjutant-general  wrote  also  to  the  general, 
avowing  his  name  and  situation.  Orders  were  sent 
to  arrest  Arnold  ;  but  he  escaped  in  a  boat,  got  on 


1779,   1780,   1781,  351 

board  the  English  frigate  the  Vulture,  and  as  no 
person  suspected  his  flight,  he  was  not  stopped  at 
any  post.  Colonel  Hamilton,  who  had  gone  in 
pursuit  of  him,  received  soon  after,  by  a  flag  of 
truce,  a  letter  from  Arnold  to  the  general,  in  which 
he  entered  into  no  details  to  justify  his  treachery, 
and  a  letter  from  the  English  commander,  Robertson, 
who,  in  a  very  insolent  manner,  demanded  that  the 
adjutant-general  should  be  delivered  up  to  them,  as 
he  had  only  acted  with  the  permission  of  General 
Arnold. 

The  first  care  of  the  general  has  been  to  assemble, 
at  West  Point,  the  troops  that,  under  various  pre- 
tences, Arnold  had  dispersed.  We  remain  here  to 
watch  over  the  safety  of  a  fort,  that  the  English 
may  respect  less  as  they  become  better  acquainted 
with  it.  Continental  troops  have  been  summoned 
here,  and  as  Arnold's  advice  may  determine  Clinton 
to  make  a  sudden  movement,  the  army  has  received 
orders  to  be  prepared  to  march  at  a  moment's 
warning. 


TO  MADAME  DE  SESSE. 

Camp,  on  the  right  side  of  the  North  River,  near  the 
Island  of  New  York,  October  4th,  1780. 

A  FRENCH  frigate  arriving  from  America, — the  son 
of  M.  de  Rochambeau  on  board !  Good  God,  what 
a  commotion  all  that  will  excite,  and  how  much 
trouble  inquisitive  people  will  take  to  discover  the 
secrets  of  the  ministers.  But  I,  my  dear  cousin, 
will  confide  to  you  our  secret.  The  French  army 
has  arrived  at  Rhode  Island,  and  has  not  quitted 
that  spot.  M.  de  Ternay's  seven  vessels  have  been 
blockaded  the  whole  time,  and  the  English  have 


352  CORRESPONDENCE, 

nineteen  vessels  here  under  that  lucky  commander, 
Rodney.  We  Americans,  without  money,  without 
pay,  and  without  provisions,  by  holding  out  fair 
promises,  have  succeeded  in  forming  an  army,  which 
has  been  offering  to  fight  a  battle  with  the  English 
for  the  last  three  months,  but  which  cannot  without 
vessels  reach  the  island  of  New  York.  Gates,  who 
was  no  favourite  of  mine,  has  become  still  less  so 
since  he  has  allowed  himself  to  be  beaten  in  the 
south.  But  all  this  is  quite  as  monstrous  as  an 
European  war,  and  catastrophes  are  necessary  to 
excite  and  sustain  the  interest  of  men. 

You  must  know,  then,  my  cousin,  that  a  certain 
General  Arnold,  of  some  reputation  in  the  world, 
was  our  commander  at  West  Point,  a  fort  on  the 
North  River,  whose  importance  the  Duke  d'Ayen 
will  explain  to  you.  General  Washington  and  I, 
returning  from  Hartford,  where  we  had  held  a  con- 
ference with  the  French  generals,  discovered  a  con- 
spiracy of  the  highest  importance.  We  owe  that 
discovery  to  an  almost  incredible  combination  of 
accidents.  West  Point  was  sold  by  Arnold,  and 
we  were  consequently  lost.  The  traitor  has  fled  to 
join  the  enemy. 

I  received  letters  from  you  by  the  fleet,  and  by 
the  Alliance,  and  I  am  impatiently  expecting  more 
recent  ones.  The  nation  will  not  be  pleased  with  the 
state  of  tranquillity  in  which  we  remain.  But  as  we 
have  no  ships,  we  can  only  wait  for  the  enemy's 
blows,  and  General  Clinton  does  not  appear  in  any 
haste  to  attack  us.  As  to  ourselves,  we  republicans 
preach  lectures  to  our  sovereign  master,  the  people, 
to  induce  him  to  recommence  his  exertions. 
In  the  mean  while  we  practise  so  much  frugality, 
and  are  in  such  a  state  of  poverty  and  nudity,  that 
I  trust  an  account  will  be  kept  in  the  next  world, 


1779,  1780,  1781.  353 

whilst  we  remain  in  purgatory)  of  all  we  have  suf- 
fered here. 

Poircy*  is  here,  and  although  he  does  not  find  a 
St  Germain  in  this  part  of  the  world,  he  accustoms 
himself  extremely  well,  I  assure  you,  to  a  soldier's 
life.  I  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  for 
all  the  news  you  gave  me.  Although  they  afforded 
me  the  greatest  pleasure,  I  scarcely  dare  reply  to 
them,  from  the  fear  that  my  answers  may  appear 
to  come  from  another  world.  I  saw  in  the  paper 
that  the  King  of  Spain  was  dead :  has  God,  then, 
punished  him  for  having  conferred  the  title  of 
grandee  upon  M.  de  Montbarrey  ? 

I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  am  in  good  health, 
for  that  is,  you  know,  my  usual  custom.  My  situ- 
ation here  is  as  agreeable  as  possible.  I  am  in  high 
favour,  I  believe,  with  the  French  army  :  the  Ame- 
rican army  shew  me  every  possible  kindness  and 
attention.  I  have  the  command  of  a  flying  corps, 
composed  of  the  elite  of  the  troops.  My  friend 
General  Washington  continues  to  be  everything  to 
me  that  I  before  described  to  you. 

Adieu,  my  dear  cousin.  When  shall  I  again  see 
you  ?  I  pray  that  God  may  grant  us  an  honourable 
peace,  and  that  I  may  embrace  my  friends,  and  I 
willingly,  for  my  own  part,  will  give  up  my  share  of 
the  glory  in  the  hope  eventually  to  win, 

Present  my  affectionate  regards  to  M.  de  Tesse, 
M.  de  Mun,  M.  Tenai,  and  the  baron  ;f  I  was  on 
the  point  of  saying,  embrace  his  daughter  for  me. 


*  Secretary.     The  Marshal   de    Noailles   had   a  house   at 
Saint  Germain. 

f   The  Baron  de  Tott. 


VOL.  I  A  A 


354  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Near  Fort  Lee,  opposite  Fort  Washington, 
on  the  North  River,  Oct.  7th,  1780. 

You  must  have  already  learnt,  my  dearest  love,  all 
that  can  interest  you  relating  to  myself,  from  my 
arrival  at  Boston  until  my  voyage  to  Rhode  Island, 
which  place  public  affairs,  and  the  desire  of  seeing 
my  friends,  induced  me  to  visit  soon  after  my 
landing.  I  have  been  since  to  Hartford  in  Connec- 
ticut, to  be  present  at  an  interview  between  the 
French  generals  and  General  Washington  :  of  all 
my  young  friends,  Damas*  was  the  only  one  who 
accompanied  us.  The  viscount  f  and  I  often  write 
to  each  other,  but  we  do  not  meet,  and  the  poor 
man  remains  shut  up  in  Rhode  Island  ;  the  French 
squadron  detains  the  army  there,  and  is  itself  de- 
tained by  nineteen  ships  of  the  line  and  sundry 
other  ships  of  war,  upon  which  M.  Rodney  proudly 
exhibits  the  British  colours.  So  long  as  our  naval 
inferiority  lasts,  you  need  feel  no  anxiety  about  the 
health  of  your  friends  in  America. 

I  must  speak  to  you,  however,  about  my  health  ; 
it  continues  excellent,  and  has  not  been  interrupted 
for  a  single  moment  ;  a  soldier's  mode  of  living  is 
extremely  frugal,  and  the  general  officers  of  the 
rebel  army  fare  very  differently  from  the  French  army 
at  Newport.  You  have  probably  heard  that,  on  my 
arrival  in  America,  I  found  the  army  of  General 
Washington  very  weak  in  numbers,  and  still  more 
so  in  resources.  Our  prospects  were  not  brilliant, 
and  the  loss  of  Charleston  was  for  us  a  most  heavy 


*  The  Count  Charles  de  Damas,  died  a  peer  of  France  under 
the  restoration. 

The  Viscount  de  Noailles. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  355 

blow,  but  the  desire  of  co-operating  with  their  allies 
gave  new  vigour  to  the  states.  General  Washing- 
ton's army  increased  more  than  half  in  number,  and 
more  than  ten  thousand  militia  were  added  to  it, 
who  would  have  come  forward  if  we  had  acted  offen- 
sively. Associations  of  merchants  and  patriotic 
banks  were  formed  to  supply  the  army  with  sub- 
sistence. The  ladies  made,  and  are  still  making, 
subscriptions,  to  afford  succour  to  the  soldiers. 
When  that  idea  was  first  proposed,  I  made  myself 
your  ambassador  to  the  ladies  of  Philadelphia,  and 
you  are  inscribed  on  the  list  for  a  hundred  guineas. 
General  Gates  had  in  the  south  an  army  quite  suffi- 
cient for  defence ;  but  he  has  been  completely 
beaten  in  Carolina.  The  fruit  of  all  these  labours 
has  been,  to  prove  to  the  French  that  the  Americans 
desire  nothing  better  than  to  second  their  views 
upon  England,  to  prove  to  the  English  that  the 
flame  of  liberty  was  not  wholly  extinguished  in 
America,  and  to  keep  us,  during  the  whole  cam- 
paign, in  daily  expectation  of  a  battle,  which 
General  Clinton,  although  equal  to  us  in  number, 
has  never  thought  proper  to  accept.  If  we  had 
only  had  ships,  we  should  have  been  enabled  to  do 
a  great  deal  more. 

As  I  know  that  all  that  interests  me  deeply  is 
also  interesting  to  you,  I  will  tell  you  that  we  are 
much  occupied  by  an  important  system,  which 
would  secure  to  us  a  considerable  army  during  the 
whole  war,  and  would  bring  into  action  all  the 
resources  which  America  is  capable  of  making. 
God  grant  that  the  nation  may  understand  its  true 
interests,  and  our  affairs  will  go  on  without  diffi- 
culty ! 

M.  de  Rochambeau  and  M.  de  Ternay,  as  well  as 
all  the  other  French  officers,  conduct  themselves 

A  A2 


356  CORRESPONDENCE, 

extremely  well  here.  A  little  ebullition  of  frank- 
ness gave  rise  to  a  slight  altercation  between  those 
generals  and  myself.  As  I  perceived  I  could  not  con- 
vince them,  and  that  it  was  important  for  the  public 
good  that  we  should  remain  friends,  I  declared,  with 
due  humility,  that  I  had  been  mistaken,  that  I  had 
committed  an  error,  and,  in  short,  in  proper  terms, 
I  asked  their  pardon,  which  produced  such  an 
excellent  effect  that  we  are  now  on  a  more  amicable 
footing  than  ever. 

I  command  a  flying  corps,  which  always  forms  an 
advance  guard,  and  is  quite  independent  of  the  great 
army ;  this  is  far  too  grand  for  our  pacific  situation. 

On  the  Hackensack  River,  Oct.  8th,  1780. 
You  will  learn,  my  dearest  love,  an  important  event, 
which  has  exposed  America  to  the  greatest  danger. 
A  frightful  conspiracy  has  been  planned  by  the  cele- 
brated Arnold :  he  sold  to  the  English  the  fort  of 
West  Point,  which  was  under  his  command,  and, 
consequently,  the  whole  navigation  of  the  river: 
the  plot  was  within  an  ace  of  succeeding,  and  quite 
as  many  chances  combined  together  to  discover  it  as 
in  that  affair  of  the  Alliance,  which  I  have  so  often 
described  to  you.*  After  our  journey  to  Hartford, 
General  Washington  passed  by  West  Point,  which 
was  not  on  his  road ;  but  he  was  desirous  of  shew- 
ing me  the  works  that  had  been  constructed  since 
my  departure  for  France.  Detained  by  various 
accidents  upon  the  road,  we  arrived  at  the  traitor's 
house  just  as  he  received  the  letters  which  announced 
that  he  had  been  discovered.  He  had  not  time  to 
intercept  those  proofs  of  infamy,  and  consequently 

*  The  conspiracy  discovered  on  board  the  frigate  which 
brought  home  M.  de.  Lafayette,  in  September,  1779. 


1779,   1780,   1781.  357 

he  could  only  make  his  escape  towards  New  York 
half  an  hour  before  our  arrival. 

The  adjutant-general  of  the  English  army  has 
been  arrested  under  a  feigned  name  and  dress. 
He  was  an  important  person,  the  friend  and  confi- 
dant of  General  Clinton.  He  behaved  with  so  much 
frankness,  courage,  and  delicacy,  that  I  could  not 
help  lamenting  his  unhappy  fate. 

I  received,  with  great  delight,  the  letters  of  my 
dear  sisters  ;  I  shall  write  to  them  to-morrow  ;  but 
I  shall  send  this  scrawl,  as  I  fear  the  frigate  may 
depart.  I  finish  my  letter  in  this  place,  having 
begun  it  rather  more  close  to  the  enemy :  we  had 
approached  them  to  protect  a  small  enterprise,  in 
which  a  detachment  of  my  advance-guard  has  been 
engaged,  and  which  only  ended  by  capturing  two 
officers,  and  fifteen  men  and  horses.  We  are  now 
marching  towards  a  place  you  will  find  marked  upon 
the  map  Sotawa,  whither  the  grand  army  is  also  to 
repair.  I  shall  write  to  Madame  d'Ayen  and  to  my 
sisters. 

Sotawa  Bridge,  October  10th,  1780. 
I  AM  closing  my  letter,  but  before  sealing  it,  I 
must  again  speak  to  you  for  a  moment  of  my  affec- 
tion. General  Washington  was  much  pleased  by 
the  kind  messages  which  I  delivered  from  you ;  he 
desires  me  to  present  to  you  his  tender  regards ;  he 
is  affectionately  attached  to  George,  and  is  much 
gratified  by  the  name  we  have  given  him.  We 
often  speak  of  you  and  of  the  little  family.  Adieu, 
adieu. 


358  CORRESPONDENCE, 

TO    GENERAL    WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Light  Camp,  October  30th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — In  our  conversations  upon 
military  operations  you  have  often  told  me  that, 
since  the  beginning  of  the  campaign,  your  eyes 
were  turned  towards  a  project  upon  which  I  gene- 
rally agree  in  opinion  with  you,  and  beg  leave  to 
offer  some  observations. 

Far  from  lessening  my  desire  of  finishing  the 
campaign  by  some  brilliant  stroke,  the  project  of 
Staten  Island,  though  it  miscarried,  has  strengthened 
my  opinions,  as  I  have  clearly  seen,  by  the  details 
of  this  operation,  that  we  should,  in  all  human  pro- 
bability, have  succeeded,  and  that  our  men  were 
fully  equal  to  any  enterprise  of  that  kind.* 

My  reasons  for  wishing  to  undertake  something 
are  these  : — 1st.  Any  enterprise  will  please  the 

*  M.  de  Lafayette  had  taken,  since  the  7th  of  August,  com- 
mand of  the  corps  of  light  infantry,  consisting  of  six  companies 
of  men,  selected  in  different  lines  of  the  army.  Those  batta- 
lions were  divided  into  two  brigades ;  one  under  the  command 
of  General  Hand,  the  other  of  General  Poor.  The  inactivity 
of  the  army  was  very  opposite  to  the  character  and  policy  of 
M.  de  Lafayette ;  he  endeavoured  incessantly  to  find  means  of 
putting  an  end  to  it,  at  least  as  far  as  regarded  himself.  The 
14th  of  August  he  had  written  to  General  Washington  to  ask 
his  permission  to  attempt  a  nocturnal  surprise  on  the  two  camps 
of  Hessians  established  at  New  York  Island.  At  the  beginning 
of  ( >ctober,  he  attempted  an  expedition  on  Italian  Island,  which 
could  not  be  accomplished,  owing  to  a  mistake  made  by  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  materality  of  the  army.  This  letter,  and  the 
letters  of  the  13th  of  November,  allude  to  this  circumstance. 
We  have  been  obliged  to  retrench  ten  letters,  which  relate  solely 
to  the  unimportant  incidents  of  a  war  of  observation. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  359 

people  of  this  country,  and  shew  them  that  when  we 
have  men  we  do  not  lie  still;  and  even  a  defeat  (pro- 
vided it  was  not  fatal)  would  have  its  good  conse- 
quences. 2ndly.  The  French  court  have  often 
complained  to  me  of  the  inactivity  of  the  American 
army,  who,  before  the  alliance,  had  distinguished 
themselves  by  their  spirit  of  enterprise.  They  have 
often  told  me,  your  friends  leave  us  now  to  fight 
their  battles,  and  do  no  more  risk  themselves :  it 
is,  moreover,  of  the  greatest  political  importance  to 
let  them  know,  that,  on  our  side,  we  were  ready  to 
co-operate.  Be  sure,  my  dear  general,  that  many 
people's  interest  will  be  to  let  it  be  believed  that 
we  were  not  ready ,  and  if  anything  may  engage  the 
ministry  to  give  us  the  asked  for  support,  it  will  be 
our  proving  to  the  nation  that,  on  our  side,  we  had 
been  ready.  So  far  was  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne 
convinced  of  this  (and  on  this  point  the  minister's  in- 
terest is  the  same  as  ours)  that  he  was  made  happy 
by  my  mentioning  to  him  the  Staten  Island  affair. 
I  well  know  the  court  of  Versailles,  and  were  I  to 
go  to  it,  I  should  think  it  very  impolitic  to  go 
there  unless  we  had  done  something.  3rdly.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  mediators  will  interfere 
this  winter  by  a  negotiation.  Then  England  will 
say,  how  can  we  give  up  people  whom  we  consider 
as  half  conquered ;  their  best  city  has  been  taken 
by  an  army  not  much  superior  to  the  people  that 
were  to  defend  it ;  their  southern  army  was  routed 
almost  as  soon  as  looked  at  by  the  British  troops  : 
New  York  is  so  much  ours,  that  they  dare  not  ap- 
proach it,  and  General  Washington's  army  does  not 
exceed  five  thousand  men.  What  shall  France 
answer?  Principally  now  that  from  the  letters  I 
have  received  I  find  the  Charleston  affair  has 


360  CORRESPONDENCE, 

brought  our  arms  into  contempt.  But  what  differ- 
ence, if  France  might  say,  the  American  army  has 
taken,  sword  in  hand,  your  best  works  ;  they  have 
offered  to  you  the  battle  upon  your  own  island,  and, 
perhaps  they  may  add  (for  news  increases  in  tra- 
velling), they  are  now  in  possession  of  New  York. 

Upon  these  considerations,  my  dear  general,  what 
I  want  is  this,  to  find  an  expedition  which  may 
wear  a  brilliant  aspect,  and  afford  probable  ad- 
vantages, also  an  immense,  though  very  remote 
one,  which,  if  unsuccessful,  may  not  turn  fatal  to 
us,  for  the  loss  of  two  or  three  hundred  men,  half 
of  them  being  enlisted  for  two  months,  I  do  not  con- 
sider as  a  ruinous  adventure. 

The  basis  of  the  plan  will  be,  that  Fort  Washing- 
ton, being  in  our  possession,  may,  with  the  Fort  Lee 
batteries,  protect  our  crossing  North  River,  and  be  a 
security  for  our  retreat,  principally  if  some  works 
are  added  on  the  point  of  embarkation.  The  taking 
of  Fort  Washington  we  may  demonstrate  to  be  very 
probable,  and  upon  that  point  you  are  of  my  opi- 
nion. 

The  enemy  have,  on  the  upper  part  of  the  Island 
from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  men,  who 
would  immediately  occupy  all  the  other  upper 
posts.  Their  army  on  Long  Island  would  repair  to 
New  York,  and  there  would  also  retire  the  troops 
posted  at  Harlem. 

As  soon  as  Fort  Washington  should  be  ours,  the 
army  would  cross  over  to  the  island,  and  those  of 
West  Point  arrive  in  the  same  time  (which  calcula- 
tion may  be  easily  done)  so  that  we  should  effectually 
possess  all  the  upper  posts,  or  cut  them  off  from 
their  main  army.  Some  militia  would  come  to  our 
assistance,  and  as  these  posts  are  not  well  furnished 


1779,   1780,   1781,  3d 

with  provisions  we  should  take  them,  at  least,  by 
famine. 

The  enemy's  army  consists  of  nine  thousand  men  : 
they  must  certainly  leave  one  thousand  men  in  their 
several  posts  ;  fifteen  hundred  of  them,  at  least, 
will  be  either  killed  at  Fort  Washington  or  blocked 
up  at  Laurel  Hill,  and  they  will  then  have  be- 
tween six  and  seven  thousand  men  to  attack  ten. 
The  two  thousand  militia  (in  supposing  that  they 
durst  take  them  out)  I  do  not  mention,  because 
we  may  have  four  thousand  militia  for  them  : 
under  such  circumstances  it  is,  probable  that  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  will  venture  a  battle.  If  he  does, 
and  by  chance  beat  us,  we  retire  under  Fort  Wash- 
ington ;  but,  if  we  beat  him,  his  works  will  be  at 
such  a  distance,  that  he  will  be  ruined  in  the  re- 
treat. If,  on  the  contrary,  he  knows  that  the 
French  army  is  coming,  and  if  we  spread  the  re- 
port of  a  second  division,  or  of  Count  de  Guichen 
being  upon  the  coasts,  he  will  keep  in  his  works, 
and  we  will,  some  way  or  other,  carry  the  upper 
posts.  When  we  are  upon  the  spot  we  may  re- 
connoitre New  York,  and  see  if  something  is  to  be 
done.  If  Clinton  was  making  a  forage  into  the 
Jerseys,  I  should  be  clear  for  pushing  to  the  city. 

If  we  undertake,  the  circumstances  of  the 
weather  make  it  necessary  that  we  undertake  im- 
mediately. I  would  move  the  army,  as  soon  as 
possible,  to  our  position  near  the  new  bridge.  This 
movement  may  invite  Clinton  in  the  Jerseys,  and 
bring  us  nearer  to  the  point  of  execution. 

Though  my  private  glory  and  yours,  my  dear 
general,  both  of  which  are  very  dear  to  my  heart, 
are  greatly  interested,  not  so  much  for  the  opinions 
of  America,  as  for  those  of  Europe,  in  our  doing 
something  this  campaign,  I  hope  you  know  me  too 


362  CORRESPONDENCE, 

wdl  to  think  I  should  insist  upon  steps  of  this 
nature  unless  I  knew  that  they  were  politically  ne- 
cessary, and  had  a  sufficient  military  probability. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 

The  six  hundred  men  of  Luzerne's  legion  might 
be  got  in  twelve  days.  If  our  movements  had  no 
other  effect  but  to  make  a  diversion  in  favour  of 
the  south,  it  would,  on  that  footing,  meet  with  the 
approbation  of  the  world,  and  perhaps  impeach  the 
operations  of  General  Leslie. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  THE 
MARQUIS   DE   LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Head-quarters,  30th  October,  1780. 
IT  is  impossible,  my  dear  marquis,  to  desire  more 
ardently  than  I  do,  to  terminate  the  campaign  by 
some  happy  stroke  ;  but  we  must  consult  our  means 
rather  than  our  wishes,  and  not  endeavour  to  better 
our  affairs  by  attempting  things  which,  for  want  of 
success,  may  make  them  worse.  We  are  to  lament 
that  there  has  been  a  misapprehension  of  our  cir- 
cumstances in  Europe  ;  but  to  endeavour  to  recover 
our  reputation,  we  should  take  care  that  we  do  not 
injure  it  more.  Ever  since  it  became  evident  that 
the  allied  arms  could  not  co-operate  this  campaign, 
I  have  had  an  eye  to  the  point  you  mention,  deter- 
mined, if  a  favourable  opening  should  offer,  to  em- 
brace it ;  but,  so  far  as  my  information  goes,  the 
enterprise  would  not  be  warranted  ;  it  would,  in  my 
opinion,  be  imprudent  to  throw  an  army  of  ten 
thousand  men  upon  an  island  against  nine  thou- 
sand, exclusive  of  seamen  and  militia.  This,  from 


1779,  1780,  1781.  3C3 

the  accounts  we  have,  appears  to  be  the  enemy's 
force.  All  we  can  do  at  present,  therefore,  is  to 
endeavour  to  gain  a  more  certain  knowledge  of 
then:  situation,  and  act  accordingly.  This  I  have 
been  some  time  employed  in  doing,  but  hitherto 
with  little  success.  I  shall  thank  you  for  any  aids 
you  can  afford.  Arnold's  flight  seems  to  have 
frightened  all  my  intelligencers  out  of  their  senses. 
I  am  sincerely  and  affectionately  yours. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Light  Camp,  November  13th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL,  —  In  revolving  in  my  mind 
the  chances  of  discovery  by  moonlight,  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  inconveniences  of  staying  longer 
than  you  wish  under  our  tents,  I  have  thought  if 
there  was  any  position  which  might  enable  us  to 
take  advantage  of  the  first  hours  of  the  night. 
How  far  the  sending  of  the  Pennsylvanians  towards 
Aquakanac,  and  going  ourselves  to  the  Hukinsac* 
position,  may  awaken  the  enemy,  I  cannot  pretend 
to  say.  The  most  difficult  affair  in  this  would  be 
the  article  of  the  boats.  Colonel  Smith  will  go  to- 
morrow morning  to  West  Point,  unless  any  intel- 
ligence received  at  head-quarters  had  made  it  useful 

*  The  general-in-chief  projected  an  attack  on  the  posts  of 
the  northern  part  of  New  York.  While  General  Heath  was  to 
attract,  by  a  feint,  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  Washington  was 
to  march  in  advance,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  to  attack  Fort  Wash- 
ington. This  expedition,  for  which  great  preparations  had  been 
made,  terminated  in  a  few  reconnoitring  parties.  The  cam- 
paign closed  without  an  engagement. 


364  CORRESPONDENCE, 

that  the  enterprise  be  attempted  soon,  in  which 
case  he  would  go  and  reconnoitre  the  place.  Sup- 
pose he  was  to  bring  from  West  Point  Colonel 
Gouvion,  who  has  often  examined  the  place  with 
the  eye  of  an  engineer.  These  ideas,  my  dear 
general,  have  rather  started  into  my  mind,  than 
become  fixed,  and  I  thought  I  would  communicate 
them. 

Most  affectionately  and  respectfully  yours, 

LAFAYETTE. 

The  Marquis  de  Laval  Montmorency,  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  families  in  France,  is  on  his  way  to  the 
camp.  The  Chevalier  de  Chastellux,  a  relation  and 
friend  of  mine,  major-general  in  the  French  army,  is 
also  coming.  I  every  day  expect  my  brother-in- 
law,  and  his  friend,  Count  de  Charms,  only  son  to 
the  Marquis  de  Castries,  who  enjoys  a  great  consi- 
deration in  France,  and  has  won  the  battle  of 
Closter  Camp.  The  Duke  of  Lauzun  has  also  written 
to  me  that  he  would  come  soon.*  These  five  gen- 
tlemen may,  by  their  existence  at  home,  be  consi- 
dered as  the  first  people  in  the  French  army.  This 
little  history  I  give  you  before  their  arrival,  in  con- 
sequence of  what  you  have  desired  from  me  at  the 
beginning. 

I  write  some  letters  to  the  commanding  officers 
at  Fishkill,  West  Point,  and  King's  Ferry,  so  that 
the  gentlemen  may  be  directed  to  come  by  the  best 
road  to  my  quarters,  from  which  I  will  present  them 

*  The  Marquis  de  Laval,  is  the  Duke  de  Laval,  who  died 
under  the  restoration.  The  Chevalier  de  Chastellux  is  well 
known  by  his  works.  The  Count  de  Charlus  is  at  present  the 
Duke  de  Castries,  member  of  the  chamber  of  peers.  M.  de 
Lauzun  has  been  general  i&  the  service  of  the  French  re- 
public. 


1779,   1780,  1781.  365 

to  you.     I  think  the  letters  ought  to  be  sent  as 
soon  as  possible. 

P.  S.  As  General  Heath  commands  in  all  these 
parts,  I  think,  upon  recollection,  that  I  had  better 
write  to  him  alone.  You  might  also  send  him  a 
line  on  the  subject. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON 
(ORIGINAL.) 

"Paramus,  November  the  28th,  1780. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — We  arrived  last  night  at  this 
place,  and  were  much  favoured  by  the  weather  in 
our  recognising  of  the  Island,  where,  I  confess,  my 
feelings  were  different  from  what  I  had  experienced 
when  looking  at  these  forts  with  a  hopeful  eye.  I 
saw  the  fatal  sentry  alluded  to,  Colonel  Gouvion, 
on  an  upper  battery  of  Jeffery's  Hook.  I  also  saw 
a  small  vessel  playing  off  this  Hook,  but  quite  a 
trifling  thing,  without  guns,  and  but  two  men  on 
board.  Nothing  else  on  the  river  but  the  usual 
guards  of  spiting  devil. 

As  you  have  been  pleased  to  consult  me  on  the 
choice  of  an  adjutant-general,  I  will  repeat  here,  my 
dear  general,  that  though  I  have  a  claim  upon  Ge- 
neral Hand,  in  every  other  point  of  view,  his  zeal, 
obedience,  and  love  of  discipline,  have  given  me  a 
very  good  opinion  of  him. 

Colonel  Smith  has  been  by  me  wholly  employed 
in  that  line,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  he  will  per- 
fectly  answer  your  purpose. 

Unless,  however,  you  were  to  cast  your  eye  on  a 
man  who,  I  think,  would  suit  better  than  any  other 


366  CORRESPONDENCE, 

in  the  world.  Hamilton  is,  I  confess,  the  officer 
whom  I  should  like  to  see  in  that  station.  With  equal 
advantages,  his  services  deserve  from  you  the  pre- 
ference to  any  other.  His  knowledge  of  your 
opinions  and  intentions  on  military  arrangements, 
his  love  of  discipline,  the  superiority  he  would  have 
over  all  the  others,  principally  when  both  armies  shall 
operate  together,  and  his  uncommon  abilities,  are  cal- 
culated to  render  him  perfectly  agreeable  to  you.  His 
utility  would  be  increased  by  this  preferment ;  and 
on  other  points  he  could  render  important  services. 
An  adjutant-general  ought  always  to  be  with  the 
commander-in-chief.  Hamilton  should,  therefore, 
remain  in  your  family,  and  his  great  industry  in 
business  would  render  him  perfectly  serviceable  in 
all  circumstances.  On  every  public  or  private  ac- 
count, my  dear  general,  I  would  advise  you  to  take 
him. 

I  shall,  on  my  arrival  at  Philadelphia,  write  you 
how  those  matters  are  going,  upon  which  I  build  my 
private  schemes.  But  I  heartily  wish  that  some 
account  or  other  from  Europe  may  enable  you  to 
act  this  winter  on  maritime  operations.  I  hate  the 
idea  of  being  from  you  for  so  long  a  time  ;  but  I 
think  I  ought  not  to  stay  idle.  At  all  events,  I 
must  return  when  your  army  takes  the  field. 

I  flatter  myself  with  the  hope  of  meeting  Mrs. 
Washington  on  the  road.  Adieu,  my  dear  general, 
most  affectionately  and  respectfully  yours. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  367 

TO  HIS  EXCELLENCY  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  December  5th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — By  my  letter  of  yesterday  I 
have  mentioned  to  you  that  a  Spanish  expedition 
was  intended  against  St.  Augustine.  They  mean  to 
set  out  at  the  end  of  December,  which  will  certainly 
delay  them  till  the  middle  of  January.  It  consists 
of  twelve  ships  of  the  line,  some  frigates,  bomb 
ketches,  and  a  large  number  of  troops.  I  have 
advised  the  minister  to  communicate  officially  to 
you  this  intelligence,  and  also  to  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau,  that  proper  means,  if  convenient,  may  be 
taken  to  improve  it. 

For  my  part,  my  dear  general,  I  have  conducted 
myself  agreeably  to  what  you  said  to  me  in  our  last 
conversations,  that  if,  in  the  course  of  the  winter,  a 
naval  superiority  was  obtained,  our  business  should  be 
to  push  for  the  southward,  and  that  you  would  take 
for  that  purpose  four  thousand  French  and  two 
thousand  Americans.  Nothing  against  New  York 
can  be  undertaken  before  the  end  of  May.  Any 
thing,  therefore,  that  could  employ  us  during  Feb- 
ruary, March,  and  April,  is  worthy  of  our  attention. 

*  The  winter,  according  to  custom,  causing  the  dispersion  of 
the  army,  M.  de  Lafayette  repaired  to  Philadelphia  to  be  nearer 
arrivals  and  intelligence  from  Europe.  It  was  there  he  first 
conceived  the  project  of  going  to  serve  in  the  south  under  Ge- 
neral Greene,  who  was  to  make  a  winter  campaign.  As  re- 
gards the  project  of  making  a  division  in  Florida,  with  the 
co-operation  of  the  Spaniards,  he  seconded  it  with  ardour,  and  to 
General  Washington,  M.  de  la  Luzerne,  and  the  Spanish  com- 
manders, he  wrote  long  letters  on  the  subject,  which  have  but 
little  interest,  owing  to  the  project  not  having  been  attended 
with  any  important  result :  those  letters  have  been  omitted. 


368  CORRESPONDENCE, 

The  confederacy  was  going  to  sail  for  some  cloth- 
ing  which  we  have  in  the  West  Indies.  No  time 
was  left  to  wait  for  an  answer  from  you.  I  knew 
perfectly  your  sense  of  this  affair.  I  therefore,  with 
the  advice  of  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  wrote  him  a 
letter  dated  from  Camp,  wherein  I  explained  to  him 
that  something  might  be  done  in  conjunction  for 
the  public  good.  My  opinion  is  strengthened  by 
your  sentiments  on  this  matter,  without,  however, 
bringing  myself,  and  still  less  yourself,  to  make 
any  formal  application  to  the  Spanish  generals. 

Inclosed  you  will  find  a  copy  of  this  letter,  the 
first  part  of  which  mentions  that  if,  after  having 
landed  their  troops  in  Florida,  they  would  send  their 
ships  of  the  line  for  us,  we  might,  at  three  weeks 
notice  before  the  departure  of  the  squadron,  have  in 
readiness  six  thousand  men  for  a  powerful  diversion 
in  Carolina.  Their  own  interest  is  the  only  thing  I 
seem  to  consider  in  this  business,  and  I  endeavour 
to  invite  Spanish  caution  in  this  measure ;  but, 
unless  a  more  particular  application  is  made,  I  do 
not  believe  that  this  part  of  my  letter  will  have  any 
effect. 

The  second  part  will,  I  hope,  be  productive  of 
some  good  for  America.  I  urge  the  necessity  im- 
mediately to  open  a  correspondence  with  General 
Greene  that  he  may,  by  his  manoeuvres,  facilitate  the 
operation  of  Spain.  I  tell  them,  that  unless  they 
land  a  corps  of  troops  on  the  boundaries  of  Georgia, 
witli  a  view  at  least  to  threaten  Augusta  and  Sa- 
vannah, their  expedition  will  run  a  great  risk.  I 
advise  the  measure  of  cruizing  off  Charleston  Har- 
bour, the  whole  under  the  idea  of  their  own  interest. 

I  have  also  written  to  the  naval  French  com- 
mander in  the  West  Indies,  advising  him  to  succour 
Chevalier  de  Ternay,  which  I  know  he  will  not  do. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  369 

But  I  take  this  opportunity  of  condemning  their 
foolish  neglect,  in  not  appearing  on  our  coasts  when 
they  return  to  Europe  ;  and  I  do  also  advise  that,  in 
their  cruizes  from  St.  Domingo,  they  may  some- 
times appear  off  Savannah  and  Charlestown  Harbour. 
Inclosed  you  will  find  a  copy  of  this  letter. 

Though  I  always  speak  of  the  beginning  of 
February,  it  is,  however,  certain,  that  any  time  in 
February  would  be  convenient  to  go  to  the  south- 
ward. March  and  April  are  more  than  sufficient 
for  the  taking  of  Charlestown  ;  and  in  all  cases,  I 
know,  from  our  last  conversations,  that  you  wish  for 
a  naval  superiority  this  winter,  in  order  to  succour 
the  southern  states. 

I  had  this  morning,  my  dear  general,  a  long  con- 
versation with  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  relating 
to  a  southern  operation.  He  is,  as  well  as  myself, 
clearly  of  opinion,  that  unless  a  formal  application 
and  a  plan  of  campaign  be  proposed  to  them,  they 
will  not  send  their  ships  to  us.  In  this  last  case 
their  coming  ought  still  to  be  questioned.  But  if 
you  thought  it  better  to  try,  you  might  propose  to 
the  French  generals  to  send  a  frigate  there,  and  see, 
with  them,  what  might  be  done  in  conjunction.  Sup- 
pose they  were  to  take  four  thousand  men,  leaving 
some,  and  the  militia,  at  Rhode  Island.  We  could 
on  our  part  muster  two  thousand  Americans.  How- 
ever, the  Spaniards  are  so  positive  and  strict  in 
following  literally  their  instructions,  that  I  do  not 
believe  anything  will  engage  them  to  come.  But 
my  letter,  which  I  look  upon  as  a  mere  cipher  on  the 
first  proposition,  will,  I  hope,  engage  them  to  im- 
part their  projects  to  General  Greene,  and  of  course 
this  diversion  will  become  useful  to  us. 

Suppose  Count  de  Rochambeau  and  Chevalier  de 
Ternay  were  to  send  to  Havanna  a  copy  of  your 

VOL.  I.  B  B 


370  CORRESPONDENCE, 

letter,  I  think  they  ought  to  intrust  it  to  Viscount 
de  Noailles,  who  will  soon  return  to  Rhode  Island, 
and  whose  name  is  highly  respected  hy  the  court  of 
Spain  for  many  particular  reasons,  too  long  to  be 
mentioned  here. 

I  have  seen  Mr.  Ross,  and  find  that  very  little 
clothing  is  to  be  for  the  present  expected.  They  have 
some  arms  on  board  the  Alliance,  and,  I  think,  a  hun- 
dred bales  of  cloth  on  board  a  vessel  under  Jones's 
convoy.  The  remainder  will  come  with  the  Serapis. 
Unless  the  storm  has  forced  Jones  to  put  in  some 
French  harbour,  he  may  be  expected  every  minute. 

The  assembly  of  Pennsylvania  have  before  them 
the  affair  of  the  recruits  ;  but  proper  arrangements 
are  not  properly  supported.  They  are  fond  of 
voluntary  enlistments.  I  have  an  appointment  for 
to-morrow  with  General  Mifflin,  where  I  will  debate 
this  matter  with  him. 

To-morrow,  my  dear  general,  I  will  go  to  Brandy- 
wine  with  Chevalier  de  Chastellux,  and  also  to 
Red  Bank,  Fort  Mifflin,  &c.  On  my  return  I  hope 
to  find  news  from  France,  and  I  will  write  you  my 
determination  about  my  going  to  the  southward. 

Inclosed  you  will  find  a  newspaper,  wherein 
congress  have  printed  a  letter  from  General  Gates, 
relating  to  a  new  success  of  Sumpter. 

Congress  have  lately  received  letters  from  Mr. 
Jay  and  Mr.  Adams,  but  nothing  very  particular. 
They  have  more  fully  written  by  other  opportunities 
that  are  expected.  Portugal  has  entered  into  the 
convention  of  neutrality ,  and  with  such  conditions  as 
to  shew  their  partiality  to  our  side  of  the  question. 

Adieu,  my  dear  general,  most  respectfully  and 
affectionately. 


1779,  1780,  1781.        371 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
New  Windsor,  14th  December,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — Soon  after  despatching  my 
last  letter  to  you,  your  favour  dated  at  Paramus 
was  put  into  my  hands  by  Colonel  Gouvion.  The 
Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne's  despatches  came  in  time 
for  the  post,  which  is  the  only  means  left  me  for 
the  conveyance  of  letters  ;  there  not  being  so  much 
money  in  the  hands  of  the  quartermaster-general  (I 
believe  I  might  go  further,  and  say  in  those  of  the 
whole  army,)  as  would  bear  the  expense  of  an  ex- 
press to  Rhode  Island.  I  could  not  get  one  the 
other  day  to  ride  so  far  as  Compton. 

I  am  now  writing  to  the  Count  de  Rochambeau 
and  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay,  on  the  subject  of  your 
several  letters.  When  their  answer  arrives,  I  will 
communicate  the  contents  to  you.  You  must  be 
convinced,  from  what  passed  at  the  interview  at 
Hartford,  that  my  command  of  the  French  troops 
at  Rhode  Island  stands  upon  a  very  limited  scale, 
and  that  it  would  be  impolitic  and  fruitless  in  me 
to  propose  any  measures  of  co-operation  to  a  third 
power,  without  their  concurrence  ;  consequently  an 
application  from  you,  antecedently  to  an  official 
proposition  from  the  minister  of  France,  the  gen- 
tlemen at  the  head  of  the  French  armament  at  Rhode 
Island,  congress,  or  myself,  could  only  be  con- 
sidered as  coming  from  a  private  gentleman  ;  it  is, 
therefore,  my  advice  to  you  to  postpone  your  cor- 
respondence with  the  Spanish  generals,  and  let  your 
influence  come  in  hereafter,  as  auxiliary  to  some- 

B  B  2 


372  CORRESPONDENCE, 

thing  more  formal  and  official.  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  give  it  clearly  as  my  opinion  to  you,  (but  this 
opinion  and  this  business  should  be  concealed 
behind  a  curtain,)  that  the  favourable  moment  of 
the  Spanish  operations  in  the  Floridas  ought  to  be 
improved  to  the  utmost  extent  of  our  means,  pro- 
vided the  Spaniards,  by  a  junction  of  their  maritime 
force  with  that  of  his  most  Christian  Majesty,  under 
the  command  of  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay,  will  give 
us  a  secure  convoy,  and  engage  not  to  leave  us 
until  the  operations  shall  be  at  an  end,  or  it  can  be 
done  by  consent  of  parties. 

1  am  very  thankful  to  the  minister  for  permitting, 
and  to  you  for  communicating  to  General  Greene, 
intelligence  of  the  Spanish  movements  towards  the 
Floridas.  It  may  have  a  happy  influence  on  his 
measures,  and  it  may  be  equally  advantageous  to 
the  Spaniards.  Your  expressions  of  personal  at- 
tachment and  affection  to  me  are  flattering  and 
pleasing,  and  fill  me  with  gratitude.  It  is  unneces- 
sary, I  trust,  on  my  part,  to  give  you  assurances  of 
mutual  regard,  because  I  hope  you  are  convinced  of 
it ;  and  as  I  have  already  put  it  absolutely  in  your 
own  choice  to  go  to  the  southern  army  or  to  stay 
with  this,  circumstances  and  inclination  alone 
must  govern  you.  It  would  add  to  my  pleasure  if 
I  could  encourage  your  hope  of  Colonel  Nevill's  ex- 
change. I  refused  to  interest  myself  in  the  exchange 
of  my  own  aide.  General  Lincoln's  were  exchanged 
with  himself;  and  upon  that  occasion,  for  I  know 
of  no  other,  congress  passed  a  resolution,  prohibit- 
ing exchanges  out  of  the  order  of  captivity. 

Under  one  general  head,  I  shall  express  my  con- 
cern for  your  disappointment  of  letters,  our  disap- 
pointment of  clothes,  and  disappointment  in  the 


1779,  1780,  1781.  373 

mode  of  raising  men  ;  but  I  shall  congratulate  you 
on  the  late  change  of  the  administration  of  France,* 
as  it  seems  to  be  consonant  to  your  wishes,  and  to 
encourage  hope.  I  am  much  pleased  at  the  friendly 
disposition  of  Portugal.  Much  good,  I  hope,  will 
result  from  the  combination  of  the  maritime  powers. 
I  am  in  very  confined  quarters  ;  little  better  than 
those  at  Valley  Forge,  but  such  as  they  are  I  shall 
welcome  into  them  your  friends  on  their  return  to 
Rhode  Island.  I  am,  &c. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES.f 

New  Windsor,  on  the  North  River,  Jan.  30th,  1781. 
THE  letters  which  I  had  the  honour  of  writing  to 
you,  sir,  and  which  were  dated  the  20th  May,  19th 
July,  4th  and  16th  December,  have,  I  hope,  reached 
you  safely.  Since  the  arrival  of  the  squadron,  your 
despatch  of  the  3rd  of  June  is  the  only  one  I  have 
received.  The  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  has  only 
received  one  letter  of  the  same  month,  and  none 
have  yet  reached  the  officers  of  the  army  and 
squadron. 

The  first  copy  of  this  letter  will  be  delivered  to 

*  The  Marquis  de  Castries  had  succeeded,  as  minister  of  the 
navy,  to  M.  de  Sartine.  This  change  gave  rise  to  the  hope  that 
France  would  send  the  promised  succours,  and  that  expectation 
induced  M.  de  Lafayette  to  renounce  his  journey  to  the  south. 

t  This  letter  was  written  in  ciphers.  It  is  inserted  here  ex- 
actly as  it  was  first  deciphered  at  the  archives  of  foreign  affairs. 
To  avoid  repetitions,  we  have  not  inserted  the  answers  of  the 
minister  ;  these  were  written  in  a  tone  of  confidence  and  friend- 
ship, and  accord  almost  on  every  point  with  the  ideas  of  M.  de 
Lafayette,  which  were,  in  a  measure,  adopted  by  the  cabinet  of 
Versailles  for  the  approaching  campaign. 


374  CORRESPONDENCE, 

you  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Laurens,  aide-de-camp 
to  General  Washington,  who  is  charged  by  congress 
with  a  private  mission.  Permit  me  to  recommend 
to  you  this  officer  as  a  man  who,  by  his  integrity, 
frankness,  and  patriotism,  must  be  extremely  ac- 
ceptable to  government. 

According  to  the  instructions  of  congress,  he  will 
place  before  you  the  actual  state  of  our  affairs,  which 
demand,  I  think  more  than  ever,  the  most  serious 
attention.  As  to  the  opinions  which  I  may  allow 
myself  to  express,  sir,  they  entirely  correspond  with 
those  I  have  hitherto  expressed,  and  the  very  slight 
alterations  observable  in  them  have  been  occasioned 
by  a  change  of  time,  prejudices,  and  circumstances. 
.  With  a  naval  inferiority,  it  is  impossible  to  make 
war  in  America.  It  is  that  which  prevents  us  from 
attacking  any  point  that  might  be  carried  with  two 
or  three  thousand  men.  It  is  that  which  reduces- 
us  to  defensive  operations,  as  dangerous  as  they  are 
humiliating.  The  English  are  conscious  of  this 
truth,  and  all  their  movements  prove  how  much 
they  desire  to  retain  the  empire  of  the  sea.  The 
harbours,  the  country,  and  all  the  resources  it  offers, 
appear  to  invite  us  to  send  thither  a  naval  force.  If 
we  had  possessed  but  a  maritime  superiority  this 
spring,  much  might  have  been  achieved  with  the 
army  that  M,  de  Rochambeau  brought  with  him, 
and  it  would  not  have  been  necessary  to  have 
awaited  the  division  he  announced  to  us.  If  M.  de 
Guichen  had  stopped  at  Rhode  Island,  on  his  way 
to  France,  Arbuthnot  would  have  been  ruined,  and 
not  all  Rodney's  efforts  could  have  prevented  our 
gaining  victories,  Since  the  hour  of  the  arrival  of 
the  French,  their  inferiority  has  never  for  one  mo- 
ment ceased,  and  the  English  and  the  Tories  have 
dared  to  say  that  France  wished  to  kindle,  without 


1779,  1780,  1781.  375 

extinguishing  the  flame.  This  calumny  becomes 
more  dangerous  at  a  period  when  the  English  de- 
tachments are  wasting  the  south  ;  when,  under  the 
protection  of  some  frigates,  corps  of  fifteen  hundred 
men  are  repairing  to  Virginia,  without  our  being 
able  to  get  to  them.  On  the  whole  continent,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Islands  of  Newport,  it  is  phy- 
sically impossible  that  we  should  carry  on  an  offen- 
sive war  without  ships,  and  even  on  those  Islands 
the  difficulty  of  transportation,  the  scarcity  of  pro- 
visions, and  many  other  inconveniences,  render  all 
attempts  too  precarious  to  enable  us  to  form  any 
settled  plan  of  campaign. 

The  result,  sir,  of  all  this  is,  that  the  advantage 
of  the  United  States  being  the  object  of  the  war, 
and  the  progress  of  the  enemy  on  that  continent 
being  the  true  means  of  prolonging  it,  and  of  ren- 
dering it,  perhaps,  even  injurious  to  us,  it  becomes, 
in  a  political  and  military  point  of  view,  necessary 
to  give  us,  both  by  vessels  sent  from  France,  and 
by  a  great  movement  in  the  fleet  in  the  Islands,  a 
decided  naval  superiority  for  the  next  campaign ; 
and  also,  sir,  to  give  us  money  enough  to  place  the 
American  forces  in  a  state  of  activity ;  fifteen 
thousand  of  the  regular  army,  and  ten  thousand,  or, 
if  we  choose  it,  a  still  greater  number  of  militia  in 
this  part  of  the  country  ;  a  southern  army,  of  which 
I  cannot  tell  precisely  the  extent,  but  which  will  be 
formed  by  the  five  southern  states,  with  all  means 
of  supporting  in  this  country  such  a  considerable 
force.  Such,  sir,  are  the  resources  that  you  may 
employ  against  the  common  enemy ;  immense  sums 
of  money  could  not  transport  resources  of  equal 
value  from  Europe  to  America,  but  these,  without 
a  succour  of  money,  although  established  on  the 
verv  theatre  of  war,  will  become  useless  ;  and  that 


376  CORRESPONDENCE, 

succour,  which  was  always  very  important,  is  now 
absolutely  necessary. 

The  last  campaign  took  place  without  a  shilling 
having  been  spent ;  all  that  credit,  persuasion,  and 
force  could  achieve,  has  been  done, — but  that  can 
hold  out  no  longer  :  that  miracle,  of  which  I  believe 
no  similar  example  can  be  found,  cannot  be  renewed, 
and  our  exertions  having  been  made  to  obtain  an 
army  for  the  war,  we  must  depend  on  you  to  enable 
us  to  make  use  of  it. 

From  my  peculiar  situation,  sir,  and  from  what 
it  has  enabled  me  to  know  and  see,  I  think  it  is  my 
duty  to  call  your  attention  to  the  American  soldiers, 
and  on  the  part  they  must  take  in  the  operations  of 
the  next  campaign.  The  continental  troops  have  as 
much  courage  and  real  discipline  as  those  that  are 
opposed  to  them.  They  are  more  inured  to  priva- 
tion, more  patient  than  Europeans,  who,  on  these 
two  points,  cannot  be  compared  to  them.  They 
havre  several  officers  of  great  merit,  without  men- 
tioning those  who  have  served  during  the  last  wars, 
and  from  their  own  talents  have  acquired  know- 
ledge intuitively  ;  they  have  been  formed  by  the 
daily  experience  of  several  campaigns,  in  which,  the 
armies  being  small,  and  the  country  a  rugged  one, 
all  the  battalions  of  the  line  were  obliged  to  serve  as 
advance-guards  and  light  troops.  The  recruits 
whom  we  are  expecting,  and  who  only  bear,  in 
truth,  the  name  of  recruits,  have  frequently  fought 
battles  in  the  same  regiments  which  they  are  now 
re-entering,  and  have  seen  more  gun-shots  than 
three-fourths  of  the  European  soldiers.  As  to  the 
militia,  they  are  only  armed  peasants,  who  have 
occasionally  fought,  and  who  are  not  deficient  in 
ardour  and  discipline,  but  whose  services  would  be 
most  useful  in  the  labours  of  a  siege.  This,  sir,  is 


1779,  1780,  1781.  377 

the  faithful  picture  that  I  think  myself  obliged  to 
send  you,  and  which  it  is  not  my  interest  to  paint 
in  glowing  colours,  because  it  would  be  more  glorious 
to  succeed  with  slighter  means.  The  Chevalier  de 
la  Luzerne,  who,  having  himself  seen  our  soldiers, 
will  give  you  a  detailed  and  disinterested  account  of 
them,  will  doubtless  tell  you,  as  I  do,  that  you  may 
depend  upon  our  regular  troops.  The  result  of  this 
digression,  sir,  is,  to  insist  still  more  earnestly  on  the 
necessity  of  sending  money  to  put  the  American 
troops  in  movement,  and  to  repeat  that  well-known 
truth,  that  a  pecuniary  succour  and  a  naval  supe- 
riority must  be  the  two  principal  objects  of  the  next 
campaign. 

It  would  take  us  too  long  to  examine  the  faults 
that  have  been  committed,  and  the  efforts  that  the 
states  may  still  endeavour  to  make  :  we  must  return 
to  the  former  point,  that,  under  present  circum- 
stances, money  is  requisite  to  derive  any  advantage 
from  the  American  resources  ;  that  the  means  which 
have  been  substituted  for  funds  are  almost  completely 
worn  out ;  that  those  to  which  we  are  at  present  re- 
duced, do  not  fulfil  the  proposed  end,  and  are  opposed 
to  the  ideas  which  induced  the  nation  to  commence 
the  revolution ;  that,  consequently,  we  require 
money  to  restore  to  the  army  that  degree  of  activity 
without  which  it  cannot  operate  in  an  efficacious 
manner.  Clothes,  arms,  ammunition,  are  comprised 
in  the  same  article,  and  Colonel  Laurens  carries 
with  him  a  copy  of  the  former  list,  from  which  some 
deductions  have  been  made.  I  will  content  myself 
with  saying,  that  nothing  of  any  importance  has 
been  sent  us,  that  it  is  necessary  to  clothe  the 
American  army,  that  it  requires  arms,  and,  to  be 
enabled  to  besiege  places,  a  great  augmentation  of 


378  CORRESPONDENCE, 

powder.  As  these  expenses  relate  to  the  pecuniary 
succours,  and  are  those  which  will  strike  most 
forcibly  individuals,  both  of  the  army  and  nation,  I 
think  it  important  that  the  government  should  pre- 
pare them  with  promptness,  and  send  them  in  a 
secure  manner. 

If  it  should  appear  strange,  sir,  to  call  that  com- 
pletion of  the  army  a  great  effort,  I  would  beg  to 
observe,  that  hunger,  cold,  nudity,  and  labour,  the 
certainty  of  receiving  neither  pay,  clothes,  nor 
necessary  food,  being  the  prospects  held  out  to  the 
American  soldier,  they  must  be  but  little  inviting  to 
citizens  who  are,  generally  speaking,  accustomed  to 
live  at  home  with  some  degree  of  comfort ;  and 
the  English  having  had  sufficient  time  to  think  of 
all  the  naval  points,  the  attacks  of  next  year  will 
be  anything  rather  than  surprises,  and  our  forces 
must  increase  in  proportion  to  their  precautions.  I 
could  have  wished  that  there  had  been  some 
French  troops,  and  my  confidence  in  the  decrease 
of  prejudice  has  been  even  greater  than  that  of  con- 
gress, General  Washington,  or  your  minister  at  that 
time.  The  advance-guard  of  the  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau,  although  inactive  itself  from  want  of  ships,  by 
its  presence  alone  has  rendered  an  essential  service 
to  America:  if  it  had  not  arrived,  the  campaign 
would  have  been  a  ruinous  one.  When  I  consider 
the  present  state  6f  feeling,  my  notion,  as  I  have  had 
the  honour  of  telling  you  before,  would  be  to  send 
hither,  for  the  expedition  of  New  York,  a  division 
of  about  ten  thousand  Frenchmen. 

In  our  conference  at  Hartford,  sir,  the  calculations 
were  of  course  made,  not  according  to  the  fortifica- 
tions actually  existing,  but  according  to  those  they 
might  intend  erecting.  The  answers  General 


1779,  1780,  1781.  379 

Washington  thought  proper  to  make  to  the  ques- 
tions put  by  the  Count  de  Rochambeau,  have  been 
long  since  carried  to  you  by  the  Amazon.  A  pro- 
posal to  ask  for  a  corps  of  fifteen  thousand  French- 
men could  only  be  acceptable  to  the  commander-in- 
chief.  But  if  that  surplus  were  to  lessen  the  sum 
of  money  by  means  of  which  fifteen  thousand  regular 
troops,  ten  thousand  militia,  and  a  southern  army 
should  be  put  into  motion  ;  if  it  were  to  lessen  the 
number  of  ships  that  would  enable  us  to  act  in  all 
places,  and  with  a  decided  superiority ; — I  must 
again  repeat,  that  pecuniary  succours  and  a  naval 
superiority  are  the  two  most  essential  points  ;  that 
the  same  quantity  of  money  would,  put  into  action 
here,  double  that  number  of  American  soldiers ;  and 
that,  without  ships,  a  few  thousand  men  more  would 
be  but  of  little  use  to  us. 

The  admirable  discipline  of  the  French  corps,  in 
addition  to  the  honour  it  confers  on  M.  de  Rocham- 
beau and  the  soldiers  under  his  command,  fulfils  a 
still  more  important  aim,  by  impressing  on  the 
minds  of  the  Americans  the  highest  idea  of  our 
nation. 

The  wisdom  of  the  government,  in  placing  that 
corps  under  the  orders  of  General  Washington, 
allows  me  only  to  repeat  how  essential  it  is  that  his 
authority  should  be  complete,  and  without  any  sort 
of  restriction.  The  talents,  prudence,  delicacy,  and 
knowledge  of  country,  which  are  all  united  in  him  in 
the  greatest  degree  of  perfection,  are  qualities  of 
which  one  only  would  suffice  to  ensure  the  rigid  ob- 
servance of  the  instructions  which  I  bear ;  and  the 
longer  I  remain  here,  the  more  fully  am  I  convinced 
that  each  of  them  is  equally  necessary  to  the  har- 
mony and  success  of  the  whole  affair. 

We  have  had,  lately,  sir,  an  important  mutiny, 


380  CORRESPONDENCE, 

of  which  Colonel  Laurens  will  give  you  the  details.* 
A  corps  of  Pennsylvania!!  troops,  almost  wholly 
composed  of  strangers,  and  stationed  at  Morristown 
(Jersey), unanimously  rose  against  their  officers,  and, 
under  the  direction  of  one  of  their  sergeants,  marched 
on  to  Princetown.  The  civil  authorities  repaired 
thither,  to  afford  them  the  justice  they  demanded. 
To  be  in  want  of  food  and  clothes,  to  serve  for  more 
than  a  year  without  pay,  some  of  them,  indeed, 
having  been  forced  to  serve  a  whole  year  beyond 
their  engagement,  are  evils  to  which  no  army  would 
submit.  It  is  singular  enough  that  those  mutineers 
should  have  hung  up  the  envoys  of  General  Clinton. 
The  greatest  part  of  the  soldiers  are  disbanded,  but 
they  are  to  re-enter  the  service,  and  to  join  the 
recruits  in  different  regiments  of  the  state.  I  am 
not  less  positive  as  to  the  nuinber  of  men  we  shall 
have  in  our  continental  army.  Some  troops  be- 
longing to  the  Jerseys,  seduced  by  example,  and 
being  those  next  to  the  Pennsylvanians,  which 
were  composed  of  the  greatest  number  of  foreigners, 
wished  to  take  the  same  method  of  obtaining  justice ; 
but  General  Washington,  having  taken  the  manage- 
ment of  this  affair  in  his  own  hands,  sent  forward  a 
detachment ;  the  mutineers  submitted,  and  their 
chiefs  were  punished.  It  is  impossible  to  pass  too 
high  encomiums  upon  the  New  England  troops, 
almost  all  national  ones,  whose  cause  was  at  bottom 
the  same,  and  who,  in  spite  of  their  nudity,  crossed 
heavy  snows  to  march  against  the  mutineers.  This 
proves,  sir,  that  human  patience  may  have  some 

*  The  revolt  of  the  Pennsylvanian  line  is  of  the  2nd  of  Ja- 
nuary. It  was  appeased  ten  days  afterwards,  and  imitated,  the 
20th  of  the  same  month,  by  the  New  Jersey  troops. — (See  the 
Letters  of  Washington  at  that  period,  and  the  Appendix,  No.  x. 
vol.  vii.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  381 

limits,  but  that  soldier  citizens  will  endure  far 
more  than  strangers.  These  events  furnish  another 
argument  for  the  necessity  of  obtaining  money. 

I  flatter  myself,  sir,  that  the  government,  con- 
scious that  the  ensuing  campaign  may  be  a  decisive 
one,  will  occupy  itself  seriously  of  rendering  it 
favourable  to  us.  The  taking  of  New  York  would 
destroy  the  power  of  the  English  on  this  continent, 
and  a  short  continuation  of  naval  superiority  would 
secure  to  us  the  easy  conquest  of  all  the  other  parts 
of  the  United  States.  As  to  the  taking  of  New 
York,  which  it  would  be  rash  to  consider  easy,  but 
absurd  to  respect  the  town  as  if  it  were  a  fortified 
one,  it  is,  I  believe,  well  authenticated,  and  General 
Washington  has  no  doubt  upon  the  subject,  that 
with  the  means  proposed  in  my  letter,  we  should 
obtain  possession  of  it  in  the  course  of  the  summer. 

It  is,  I  believe,  important  to  turn,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, the  enemy's  attention  towards  Canada. 

When  General  Washington  gave  Colonel  Laurens 
his  opinion  respecting  military  affairs  and  the 
operations  of  the  campaign,  he  also  put  down  in 
writing  some  ideas  on  our  present  situation,  and 
communicated  to  me  that  letter,  which  contains  the 
substance  of  several  of  his  conversations  with  me. 
I  take  the  liberty  of  requesting  the  king's  minister, 
to  ask  to  see  that  letter.  Our  situation  is  not 
painted  in  flattering  colours  ;  but  the  general  speaks 
from  the  sad  experience  of  our  embarrassments, 
and  I  agree  with  him,  sir,  that  it  is  indispensable 
for  us  to  obtain  some  pecuniary  succours,  and  a  de- 
cided naval  superiority. 

You  must  certainly  have  learnt,  sir,  that  the  de- 
feat of  Ferguson,  and  some  other  successes  of  'ours, 
having  disarranged  the  plans  of  Lord  Cornwallis, 
General  Leslie  re-embarked  to  form  the  junction  by 


382  CORRESPONDENCE, 

water,  and  that  he  has  since  arrived  at  Charlestown. 
Arnold,  become  an  English  genera],,  and  honoured 
by  the  confidence  of  that  nation,  is  at  this  moment 
at  the  head  of  a  British  detachment.  Having  landed 
in  Virginia,  he  took  possession  of  Richmond  for 
some  hours,  and  destroyed  some  public  and  private 
property :  he  must  now  have  retired  into  a  safe 
harbour,  or  has,  perhaps,  joined  some  other  expedi- 
tion. At  the  very  moment  when  the  English 
fancied  that  we  were  in  the  most  awkward  situation 
from  the  mutiny  of  some  troops,  General  Wash- 
ington sent  a  detachment  on  the  left  side  of  the 
Hudson,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hullr 
supported  by  General  Parsons,  which  surprised, 
at  Westchester,  a  corps  of  three  hundred  men  under 
Colonel  Delancey,  wounded  several,  killed  thirty, 
took  sixty  prisoners,  burnt  all  the  barracks  and  pro- 
visions, and  retired,  after  having  destroyed  a  bridge 
of  communication  with  the  Island  of  New  York. 

The  general  is  soon  to  pass  some  days  with  the 
French  troops  at  Rhode  Island,  and  I  shall  accom- 
pany him  on  that  journey. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  sir,  with  equal  affection 
and  respect,  &c.  &c. 

New  Windsor,  February  4th,  1781. 

BY  a  letter  from  M.  de  Rochambeau,  sir,  we  learn 
that  the  English  squadron  in  Gardiner's  Bay  has 
suffered  severely  from  a  gale  of  wind.  A  seventy- 
four,  it  is  said,  has  run  on  shore  ;  the  London,  of 
ninety  guns,  is  dismasted,  and  M.  Destouches*  was 
preparing  to  take  advantage  of  this  event.  But  you 
will  receive  more  circumstantial,  and  perhaps  more 

*  M.  Destouches  had  replaced  in  the  command  of  the  frigates 
M.  de  Ternay,  deceased  the  15th  December,  after  a  short  ill- 
ness. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  383 

certain  details,  by  letters  from  Rhode  Island,  and 
we  are  also  ourselves  expecting  some,  to  fix  more 
positively  our  own  ideas  and  hopes.  General  Knox, 
commander  of  our  artillery,  a  man  of  great  merit 
and  extreme  probity,  has  just  reported  to  the  gene- 
ral the  result  of  a  mission  which  had  been  given 
him  in  the  New  England  States.  The  spirit  of  pa- 
triotism and  the  zeal  he  found, — the  exertions  they 
are  making  to  levy  troops,  either  for  the  whole 
duration  of  the  war,  or  for  (what  amounts,  I  trust, 
to  the  same  thing)  the  period  of  three  years,  surpass 
our  most  sanguine  hopes  ;  and  as  they  have  twenty 
regiments  in  the  continental  service,  I  can  only 
urge,  in  a  still  more  positive  manner,  what  I  have 
already  had  the  honour  in  writing  to  you. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

New  Windsor,  in  the  North  River,  February  2nd,  1781. 

THE  person  who  will  deliver  this  to  you,  my  dearest 
love,  is  a  man  I  am  much  attached  to,  and  whom  I 
wish  you  to  become  intimate  with.  He  is  the  son  of 
president  Laurens,  who  has  been  lately  established  in 
the  Tower  of  London*;  he  is  lieutenant-colonel  in  our 
service,  and  aide-de-camp  to  General  Washington  ; 
he  has  been  sent  by  congress  on  a  private  mission 
to  the  court  of  France.  I  knew  him  well  during 
the  two  first  campaigns,  and  his  probity,  frankness, 
and  patriotism,  have  attached  me  extremely  to  him. 
General  Washington  is  very  fond  of  him ;  and  of 

*  He  was  detained  both  as  a  prisoner  of  war  and  a  rebel.  The 
18th  of  October,  Madame  de  Lafayette  had  herself  written  in 
his  favour  to  M.  de  Vergennes,  a  letter  which  is  still  preserved 
in  the  archives  of  foreign  aifairs. 


384  CORRESPONDENCE, 

all  the  Americans  whom  you  have  hitherto  seen,  he  is 
the  one  I  most  particularly  wish  you  to  receive  with 
kindness.  If  I  were  in  France,  he  should  live  en- 
tirely at  my  house,  and  I  would  introduce  him  to 
all  my  friends  (I  have  even  introduced  him  to  some 
by  letter)  ;  and  give  him  every  opportunity  in  my 
power  of  making  acquaintance,  and  of  passing  his 
time  agreeably  at  Versailles  ;  and  in  my  absence,  I 
entreat  you  to  replace  me.  Introduce  him  to  Ma- 
dame d'Ayen,  the  Marshal  de  Mouchy,  the  Marshal 
de  Noailles,  and  treat  him  in  every  respect  as  a 
friend  of  the  family :  he  will  tell  you  all  that  has 
occurred  during  our  campaign,  the  situation  in  which 
we  are  at  present  placed,  and  give  you  all  details 
relating  to  myself. 

Since  my  arrival  here,  my  health  has  not  for  a 
moment  failed.  The  air  of  this  country  agrees  with 
me  extremely  well,  and  exercise  is  very  beneficial  to 
me.  My  exertions  during  the  last  campaign  did  not 
lead  me  into  much  danger,  and  in  that  respect  we  have 
not,  in  truth,  much  to  boast.  The  French  squadron 
has  remained  constantly  blockaded  in  Rhode  Island, 
and  I  imagine  that  the  Chevalier  Ternay  died  of  grief 
in  consequence  of  this  event.  However  this  may  be, 
he  is  positively  dead.  He  was  a  very  rough  and  ob- 
stinate man,  but  firm,  and  clear  in  all  his  views,  and, 
taking  all  things  into  consideration,  we  have  sus- 
tained a  great  loss.  The  French  army  has  remained 
at  Newport,  and  although  its  presence  has  been 
very  useful  to  us,  although  it  has  disconcerted  some 
plans  of  the  enemy  which  would  have  been  very 
injurious  to  us,  it  might  have  done  still  more  good 
if  it  had  not  been  thus  blockaded. 

Several  Frenchmen  have  passed  by  head  quar- 
ters. They  have  all  been  delighted  with  General 
Washington,  and  I  perceive  with  pleasure  that  he 


1779,  1780,  1781.  385 

will  be  much  beloved  by  the  auxiliary  troops. 
Laval  and  Custine  disputed  together  during  the  whole 
journey,  and  at  each  station  would  have  done  much 
better  than  the  American  and  English  generals,  but 
never  both  in  the  same  manner.  The  viscount  and 
Damas  have  taken  a  long  journey  on  the  continent ; 
we  have  also  had  the  Count  des  Deux-Ponts,  whom 
I  like  very  much  ;  M.  de  Charlus  is  at  present  in 
Philadelphia.  I  intend  setting  out  about  the  15th, 
for  Rhode  Island,  and  I  shall  accompany  General 
Washington  during  his  visit  to  the  French  army. 
When  you  recollect  how  those  poor  rebels  were 
looked  upon  in  France,  when  I  come  to  be  hung 
with  them,  and  when  you  reflect  upon  my  warm 
affection  for  General  Washington,  you  will  conceive 
how  delightful  it  will  be  for  me  te  witness  his  re- 
ception there  as  generalissimo  of  the  combined 
armies  of  the  two  nations. 

The  Americans  continue  to  testify  for  me  the 
greatest  kindness  :  there  is  no  proof  of  affection 
and  confidence  which  I  do  not  receive  each  day 
from  the  army  and  nation.  I  am  serving  here  in 
the  most  agreeable  manner  possible.  At  every  cam- 
paign I  command  a  separate  flying  corps,  composed 
of  chosen  troops  ;  I  experience  for  the  American 
officers  and  soldiers  that  friendship  which  arises 
from  having  shared  with  them,  for  a  length  of  time, 
dangers,  sufferings,  and  both  good  and  evil  fortune. 
We  began  by  struggling  together  ;  our  affairs  have 
often  been  at  the  lowest  possible  ebb.  It  is  gratify- 
ing to  me  to  crown  this  work  with  them,  by  giving 
the  European  troops  a  high  idea  of  the  soldiers 
who  have  been  formed  with  us.  To  all  these 
various  motives  of  interest  for  the  cause  and  army, 
are  joined  my  sentiments  of  regard  for  General 
Washington  :  amongst  his  aides-de-camp  there  is 

VOL.  i.  c  c 


386  CORRESPONDENCE, 

one  man  I  like  very  much,  and  of  whom  I  have 
often  spoken  to  you  ;  this  is  Colonel  Hamilton. 

I  depend  on  Colonel  Laurens  to  give  you  the  de- 
tails of  our  campaign.  We  remained  sufficiently 
near  the  English  to  merit  the  accusation  of  bold- 

O 

ness  ;  but  they  would  not  take  advantage  of  any  of 
the  opportunities  we  offered  them.  We  are  all  in 
winter  quarters  in  this  part  of  the  country.  There 
is  some  activity  in  the  south,  and  I  was  preparing 
to  go  there  ;  but  the  wishes  of  General  Washington, 
and  the  hope  of  being  useful  to  my  countrymen, 
have  detained  me  here.  The  corps  I  command 
having  returned  to  the  regiments,  I  have  established 
myself  at  head-quarters.  America  made  great 
efforts  last  summer,  and  has  renewed  them  this 
winter,  but  in  a  more  durable  manner,  by  only 
making  engagements  for  the  war,  and  .1  trust  that 
none  will  have  cause  to  be  dissatisfied  with  us. 

Arnold,  who  has  now  become  an  English  general, 
landed  in  Virginia,  with  a  corps,  which  appears 
well  pleased  to  serve  under  his  orders.  There  is  no 
accounting  for  taste  ;  but  I  do  not  feel  sorry,  J 
own,  to  see  our  enemies  rather  degrade  themselves, 
by  employing  one  of  our  generals,  whose  talents, 
even  before  we  knew  his  treachery,  we  held  in 
light  estimation :  abilities  must,  in  truth,  be  rare 
in  New  York.  But  whilst  speaking  of  baseness, 
Colonel  Laurens  will  tell  you  of  the  fine  embassy 
sent  by  General  Clinton  to  some  mutinous  soldiers. 
He  will  describe  to  you  also  the  details  of  that 
mutiny ;  the  means  employed  to  arrest  it  with  the 
Pennsylvanians,  and  also  those  we  employed  with 
the  Jersey  troops.  This  only  proves,  however,  that 
human  patience  has  its  limits,  as  no  European 
army  would  endure  the  tenth  part  of  such  suffer- 
ings, that  citizens  alone  can  support  nudity, 


1779,  1780,   1781.  387 

hunger,  cold,  labour,  and  the  absolute  want  of  that 
pay  which  is  necessary  to  soldiers,  who  are  more 
hardy  and  more  patient,  I  believe,  than  any  others 
in  ex"«  twice. 

Embrace  our  children  a  thousand  and  a  thousand 
times  for  me  ;  their  father,  although  a  wanderer,  is 
not  less  tender,  not  less  constantly  occupied  with 
them,  and  not  less  happy  at  receiving  news  from 
them.  My  heart  dwells  with  peculiar  delight  on 
the  moment  when  those  dear  children  will  be  pre- 
sented to  me  by  you,  and  when  we  may  embrace 
and  caress  them  together.  Do  you  think  that 
Anastasia  will  recollect  me  ?  Embrace  tenderly 
for  me  my  dear  and  amiable  viscountess,  Madame 
du  Roure,  my  two  sisters,  de  Noailles  and  d'Ayen, 
&c.  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Elk,  March  the  8th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  letter  of  the  1st  inst. 
did  not  come  to  hand  until  last  evening,  and  I  hasted 
to  answer  to  its  contents,  though  I  should, -in  a  few 
hours,  be  better  able  to  inform  you  of  my  move- 
ments.* From  what  I  hear  of  the  difficulties  to 
convoy  us  down  the  bay,  I  very  much  apprehend 

*  An  instruction  of  the  20th  of  February,  enjoined  to  Ge- 
neral Lafayette  to  take  the  command  of  a  detachment  assembled 
at  Peekskill,  to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  militia,  and  some 
vessels  of  M.  Destouches.  He  was  to  proceed  by  a  rapid  march 
to  Hampton,  on  the  Chesapeak  bay,  to  surprise  Arnold  at  Ports- 
mouth •  he  had  orders  to  return  back  immediately  if  he  learnt 
that  the  latter  had  quitted  Virginia,  or  that  the  French  com- 

c  c  2 


388  CORRESPONDENCE, 

that  the  winds  will  not  permit  any  frigate  to  come 
up.  Count  de  Rochambeau  thinks  his  troops  equal 
to  the  business,  and  wishes  that  they  alone  may 
display  their  zeal  and  shed  their  blood  for  an  expe- 
dition which  all  America  has  so  much  at  heart.  The 
measures  he  is  taking  may  be  influenced  by  laudable 
motives,  but  I  suspect  they  are  not  entirely  free 
from  selfish  considerations.  God  grant  this  may 
not  be  productive  of  bad  consequences.  Baron  de 
Viomenil  will  also  want  to  do  everything  alone.  As 
to  the  French  troops,  their  zeal  is  laudable,  and  I 
wish  their  chiefs  would  reserve  it  for  the  time  when 
we  may  co-operate  with  an  assurance  of  success. 

I  heartily  feel,  my  dear  general,  for  the  honour 
of  our  arms,  and  think  it  would  be  derogatory  to 
them  had  not  this  detachment  some  share  in  the 
enterprise.  This  consideration  induces  me  to  em- 
bark immediately,  and  our  soldiers  will  gladly  put 
up  with  the  inconveniences  that  attend  the  scarcity 
of  vessels.  We  shall  have  those  armed  ones  (though 
the  largest  has  only  twelve  guns)  and  with  this 

mander  had  lost  his  naval  superiority.  M.  de  Lafayette  reached 
Pompton  the  23rd,  (from  whence  he  wrote  to  the  general-in- 
chief,)  Philadelphia  the  2nd,  and  Head-of- Elk  the  3rd  of  March. 
Washington,  however,  had  himself  repaired  to  Newport  to  urge 
the  departure  of  M.  Destouche.s,  which  event  he  announced  in 
a  letter  of  the  llth.  The  result  of  his  encounter  on  the  16th 
with  Admiral  Arbuthnot  was  to  oblige  the  squadron  to  return  to 
Newport,  and  M.  de  Lafayette  to  begin  his  retreat  on  the  24th. 
He  spoke  himself  in  the  following  terms  of  the  expedition  of 
which  this  letter  treats  :  — 

"  Dr.  Ramsay  and  Mr.  Marshall  speak  of  the  expedition  at- 
tempted against  Arnold,  and  the  circumstances  which  caused  it^/ 
failure.  Lafayette's  detachment  was  composed  of  twelve  hunduefl 
of  those  soldiers  of  light  infantry  which  had  formed,  the  preceding 
year,  the  advance  guard  of  the  army :  these  were  drawn  from 
regiments  of  the  four  states  of  New  England  and  Jersey.  Gor- 
don has  truly  related  that,  after  conducting  them  by  water  from 


1779,  1780,  1781.  389 

every  body  assures  us  that  we  may  go  without  any 
danger  to  Annapolis.  For  my  part  I  am  not  yet  de- 
termined what  to  do  ;  but  if  I  see  no  danger  to  our 
small  fleet  in  going  to  Annapolis,  and  if  I  can  get 
Commodore  Nicholson  to  take  the  command  of  it, 
I  shall  perhaps  proceed  in  a  small  boat  to  Hampton, 
where  my  presence  can  alone  enable  me  to  procure  a 
frigate,  and  where  I  will  try  to  cool  the  impetuosity 
or  correct  the  political  mistakes  of  both  barons.* 

Whichever  determination  I  take,  a  great  deal  must 
be  personally  risked,  but  I  hope  to  manage  things 
so  as  to  commit  no  imprudence  with  the  excellent 
detachment  whose  glory  is  as  dear,  and  whose  safety 
is  much  dearer,  to  me  than  my  own.  I  have 
written  to  General  Greene,  and  will  write  to  the 
governors,  either  to  get  intelligence  or  to  prepare 
means  to  operate  ;  but  (General  Greene  excepted) 
I  do  not  give  them  any  hint  of  our  intentions  fur- 
ther than  the  expedition  against  Portsmouth. 

When  a  man  has  delicate  games  to  play,  and 
when  chance  may  influence  so  much  his  success  or 
miscarriage,  he  must  submit  to  blame  in  case 


Head-of-Elk  to  Annapolis,  he  went  himself  in  an  open  canoe  to 
Elizabethtown  to  accelerate  the  preparations.  The  expedition 
having  failed,  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  Annapolis,  where  his 
continental  troops  had  remained,  vainly  expecting  that  the 
French  frigates  would  come  to  escort  them.  It  was  a  bold  and 
skilful  stroke  in  him  to  take  advantage  of  a  favourable  moment 
to  convoy  the  American  flotilla  from  Annapolis  to  Head-of-Elk, 
and  the  detachment  had  scarcely  arrived  when  General  Wash- 
ington, announcing  to  him  that  General  Phillips,  with  more 
than  two  thousand  chosen  men,  had  gone  to  reinforce  Arnold, 
and  take  the  command  in  Virginia,  which  was  to  become  the 
centre  of  active  operations,  desired  him  to  defend  the  state  as 
well  and  as  long  as  the  weakness  of  his  means  allowed. — (Ma- 
nuscript, No.  2.) 
*  Viomenil  and  Steuben. 


390  CORRESPONDENCE, 

if  misfortune.  But  your  esteem,  my  dear  general, 
nd  your  affection,  will  not  depend  upon  events. 
Vith  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  friend- 
hip,  &c. 


TO   GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
On  board  the  Dolphin,  March  9th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Here  I  am  at  the  mouth  of 
Elk  River,  and  the  fleet  under  my  command  will 
proceed  to  Annapolis,  where  I  am  assured  they  can 
go  without  danger.  They  are  protected  by  the 
Nesbitt,  of  twelve  guns,  some  field-pieces  on  board 
the  vessel  that  carries  Colonel  Stevens,  and  we 
are  going  to  meet  an  eight-gun  and  a  six-gun- 
vessel  from  Baltimore.  With  this  escort,  we  may 
go  as  far  as  Annapolis.  No  vessel  of  the  enemy 
ever  ventured  so  far  up,  and  if  by  chance  they 
should,  our  force  is  superior  to  any  cruizer  they 
have  in  the  bay.  At  Annapolis  we  shall  meet  Com- 
modore Nicholson,  whom  I  have  requested,  by  a 
letter,  to  take  the  general  command  of  our  fleet, 
and  if  there  was  the  least  danger,  to  proceed  farther 
down.  They  are  to  remain  at  Annapolis  until  I  send 
them  new  orders. 

As  to  myself,  my  dear  general,  I  have  taken  a 
small  boat  armed  with  swivels,  and  on  board  of 
which  I  have  put  thirty  soldiers.  I  will  precede  the 
fleet  to  Annapolis,  where  I  am  to  be  met  by  intelli- 
gence, and  conformable  to  the  state  of  things  below, 
will  determine  my  personal  movements  and  those  of 
the  fleet. 

With  a  full  conviction  that  (unless  you  arrived  in 


1779,   1780,  1781.  391 

time  at  Rhode  Island)  no  frigate  will  be  sent  to  us 
1  think  it  my  duty  to  the  troops  I  command,  and  the 
country  I  serve,  to  overlook  some  little  personal 
danger,  that  I  may  ask  for  a  frigate  myself ;  and  in 
order  to  add  weight  to  my  application,  I  have 
clapped  on  board  my  boat  the  only  son  of  the 
minister  of  the  French  Navy,  whom  I  shall  take  out 
to  speak  if  circumstances  require  it. 

Our  men  were  much  crowded  at  first,  but  I 
unload  the  vessels  as  we  go  along,  and  take  posses- 
sion of  every  boat  that  comes  in  my  way. 

These  are,  my  dear  general,  the  measures  I 
thought  proper  to  take.  The  detachment  is,  I 
hope,  free  from  danger,  and  my  caution  on  this 
point  has  been  so  far  as  to  be  called  timidity  by 
every  seaman  I  have  consulted.  Captain  Martin, 
of  the  Nesbitt,  who  has  been  recommended  by 
General  Gist,  makes  himself  answerable  for  the  safe 
arrival  of  the  fleet  at  Annapolis  before  to-morrow 
evening. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Williamsburg,  March  the  23rd  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — By  former  letters  your  ex- 
cellency has  been  acquainted  with  my  motions,  from 
my  arrival  at  the  head  of  Elk  to  the  time  of  my 
landing  at  this  place.  The  march  of  the  detach- 
ment to  Elk  had  been  very  rapid  and  performed 
in  the  best  order.  Owing  to  the  activity  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Stevens,  a  train  of  artillery  had 
been  provided  at  Philadelphia,  and  notwithstanding 


392  CORRESPONDENCE, 

some  disappointments,  namely,  that  relating  to  the 
want  of  vessels,  no  delay  should  have  heen  imputed 
to  us  in  this  co-operation.  Having  received  your 
excellency's  letter,  by  which  the  sailing  of  the 
French  fleet  became  a  matter  of  certainty,  I  deter- 
mined to  transport  the  detachment  to  Annapolis, 
and  did  it  for  many  essential  reasons.  The  naviga- 
tion of  the  bay  is  such  that  the  going  in  and  the 
going  out  of  Elk  River  requires  a  different  wind  from 
those  which  are  fair  to  go  up  and  down  the 
bay.  Our  stopping  at  Annapolis,  and  making  some 
preparations  on  the  road  to  Carolina,  might  be  of 
use  to  deceive  the  enemy.  But  above  all,  I  thought, 
with  your  excellency,  that  it  was  important,  both  to 
the  success  of  the  operation  and  the  honour  of  our 
arms,  that  the  detachment  should  be  brought  to  co- 
operate, and  from  the  time  when  the  French  were 
to  sail  and  the  winds  that  blew  for  some  days,  I  had 
no  doubt  but  that  our  allies  were  in  the  Chesapeak, 
before  we  could  arrive  at  Annapolis. 

Owing  to  the  good  disposition  of  Commodore 
Nicholson,  whom  I  requested  to  take  charge  of  our 
small  fleet,  the  detachment  was  safely  lodged  in  the 
harbour  of  Annapolis ;  and  in  the  conviction  that 
my  presence  here  was  necessary,  not  so  much  for 
preparations  which  Baron  de  Steuben  provided,  as 
for  settling  our  plans  with  the  French,  and  obtaining 
an  immediate  convoy  for  the  detachment,  I  thought 
it  better  to  run  some  risk  than  to  neglect  anything 
that  could  forward  the  success  of  the  operation,  and 
the  glory  of  the  troops  under  my  command. 

On  my  arrival  at  this  place,  I  was  surprised  to 
hear  that  no  French  fleet  had  appeared,  but  attri- 
buted it  to  delays  and  chances  so  frequent  in  naval 
matters.  My  first  object  was  to  request  that  nothing 
be  taken  for  this  expedition  which  could  have  been 


1779,   1780,   1781.  393 

intended  for,  or  useful  to,  the  southern  army,  whose 
welfare  appeared  to  me  more  interesting  than  our 
success.  My  second  object  has  been  to  examine 
what  had  been  prepared,  to  gather  and  forward 
every  requisite  for  a  vigorous  co-operation, 
besides  a  number  of  militia  amounting  to  five 
thousand ;  I  can  assure  your  excellency  that 
nothing  has  been  wanting  to  ensure  a  complete 
success. 

As  the  position  of  the  enemy  had  not  yet  been 
reconnoitred,  I  went  to  General  Muhlenberg's  camp, 
near  Suffolk ,  and  after  he  had  taken  a  position 
nearer  to  Portsmouth,  we  marched  down  with  some 
troops  to  view  the  enemy 's  works.  This  brought  on 
a  trifling  skirmish,  during  which  we  were  able  to  see 
something ;  but  the  insufficiency  of  ammunition, 
which  had  been  for  many  days  expected,  prevented  my 
engaging  far  enough  to  push  the  enemy's  outposts,  and 
our  reconnoitring  was  postponed  to  the  21st, — when, 
on  the  20th,  Major  Mac  Pherson,  an  officer  for  whom 
I  have  the  highest  confidence  and  esteem,  sent  me 
word  from  Hampton,  where  he  was  stationed,  that 
a  fleet  had  come  to  anchor  within  the  Capes.  So 
far  it  was  probable  that  this  fleet  wras  that  of  M. 
Destouches,  that  Arnold  himself  appeared  to  be  in 
great  confusion,  and  his  vessels,  notwithstanding 
many  signals,  durst  not,  for  a  long  time,  venture 
down.  An  officer  of  the  French  navy  bore  down 
upon  them  from  York,  and  nothing  could  equal  my 
surprise  in  hearing  from  Major  Mac  Pherson,  that 
the  fleet  announced  by  a  former  letter  certainly 
belonged  to  the  enemy. 

Upon  this  intelligence,  the  militia  were  removed 
to  their  former  position,  and  I  requested  Baron  de 
Steuben  (from  whom,  out  of  delicacy,  I  would  not 
take  the  command  until  the  co-operation  was  begun, 


394  CORRESPONDENCE 

or  the  continental  troops  arrived)  to  take  such 
measures  as  would  put  out  of  the  enemy's  reach  the 
several  articles  that  had  been  prepared.  On  my 
return  to  this  place,  I  could  not  hear  more  parti"- 
cular  accounts  of  the  fleet.  Some  people  think 
they  are  coming  from  Europe ;  but  I  believe  them 
to  be  the  fleet  from  Gardiner's  Bay.  They  are  said 
to  be  twelve  sail  in  all,  frigates  included.  I  have 
sent  spies  on  board  and  shall  forward  their  report 
to  head-quarters. 

Having  certain  accounts  that  the  French  had 
sailed  on  the  8th,  with  a  favourable  wind,  I  must 
think  that  they  are  coming  to  this  place,  or  were 
beaten  in  an  engagement,  or  are  gone  somewhere 
else.  In  these  three  cases,  I  think  it  my  duty  to 
stay  here  until  I  hear  something  more,  which  must 
be  in  a  little  time.  But  as  your  excellency  will 
certainly  recal  a  detachment  composed  of  the 
flower  of  each  regiment,  whose  loss  would  be  im- 
manse  to  the  army  under  your  immediate  command, 
and  as  my  instructions  are  to  march  them  back  as 
soon  as  we  lose  the  naval  superiority  in  this 
quarter,  I  have  sent  them  orders  to  move  at  the 
first  notice  which  I  will  send  to-morrow  or 
the  day  after,  or  upon  a  letter  from  your  excel- 
lency, which  my  aide-de-camp  is  empowered  to 
open. 

Had  I  not  been  here  upon  the  spot,  I  am  sure 
that  I  should  have  waited  an  immense  time  before  I 
knew  what  to  think  of  this  fleet,  and  my  presence 
at  this  place  was  the  speediest  means  of  forwarding 
the  detachment  either  to  Hampton  or  your  excel- 
lency's immediate  army.  By  private  letters,  we 
hear  that  General  Greene  had,  on  the  19th,  an  en- 
gagement with  Lord  Cornwallis.  The  honour  of 
keeping  the  field  was  not  on  our  side.  The  enemy 


1779,  1780,   1781.  395 

lost  more  men  than  we  did.  General  Greene  dis- 
played his  usual  prudence  and  abilities,  hoth  in 
making  his  dispositions  and  posting  his  troops  at 
ten  miles  from  the  first  field  of  battle,  where  they 
bid  defiance  to  the  enemy,  and  are  in  a  situation  to 
check  his  progress. 


FROM   GENERAL  WASHINGTON   TO   THE 
MARQUIS  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

New  Windsor,  6th  April,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — Since  my  letter  to  you  of 
yesterday,*  I  have  attentively  considered  of  what 
vast  importance  it  will  be  to  reinforce  General 
Greene  as  speedily  as  possible  ;  more  especially  as 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  detachment  under 
General  Phillips,  if  not  part  of  that  now  under  the 
command  of  General  Arnold,  will  ultimately  join, 
or  in  some  degree  co-operate  with  Lord  Cornwallis. 
I  have  communicated  to  the  general  officers  at  pre- 
sent with  the  army  my  sentiments  on  the  subject ; 
and  they  are  unanimously  of  opinion  that  the  de- 
tachment under  your  command  should  proceed  and 
join  the  southern  army.  Your  being  already  three 
hundred  miles  advanced,  which  is  nearly  half  way, 
is  the  reason  that  operates  against  any  which  can  be 
offered  in  favour  of  marching  that  detachment  back. 
You  will  therefore,  immediately  at  the  receipt  of 
this,  turn  the  detachment  to  the  southward.  Inform 

*  This  related  merely  to  the  expedition  which  had  lately- 
failed.  Washington  deplored  its  result,  which  had  been  occa- 
sioned by  maritime  events,  but  he  approved  and  eulogised  the 
conduct  of  M.  de  Lafayette. 


396  CORRESPONDENCE, 

General  Greene  that  you  are  upon  your  march  to 
join  him,  and  take  his  directions  as  to  your  route, 
when  you  begin  to  approach  him.  Previously  to 
that,  you  will  be  guided  by  your  own  judgment,  and 
by  the  roads  on  which  you  will  be  most  likely  to  find 
subsistence  for  the  troops  and  horses.  It  will  be 
well  to  advise  Governor  Jefferson  of  your  intended 
march  through  the  state  of  Virginia,  or,  perhaps,  it 
will  answer  a  good  purpose  were  you  to  go  forward 
to  Richmond  yourself,  after  putting  the  troops  in 
motion,  and  having  made  some  necessary  arrange- 
ment for  their  progress. 

You  will  take  with  you  the  light  artillery  and 
smallest  mortars,  with  their  stores  and  the  musket 
cartridges.  But  let  these  follow,  under  a  proper 
escort,  rather  than  impede  the  march  of  the  detach- 
ment, which  ought  to  move  as  expeditiously  as  pos- 
sible without  injury  to  them.  The  heavy  artillery 
and  stores  you  will  leave  at  some  proper  and  safe 
place,  if  it  cannot  be  conveniently  transported  to 
Christiana  River,  from  whence  it  will  be  easily  got 
to  Philadelphia.  You  may  leave  to  the  option  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Stevens  to  proceed  or  not,  as  he 
may  think  proper  ;  his  family  is  in  peculiar  circum- 
stances, and  he  left  it  with  the  expectation  of  being 
absent  for  a  short  time.  Should  there  be  other 
officers  under  similar  circumstances,  you  may  make 
them  the  same  offers,  and  they  shall  be  relieved. 

I  am,  my  dear  marquis,  yours,  &c. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  397 


TO   GENERAL   WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Elk,  April  8th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  excellency's  letters  of 
the  5th  and  6th  instant  are  just  come  to  hand,  and 
before  I  answer  their  contents,  I  beg  leave  to  give 
you  a  summary  account  of  the  measures  I  have 
lately  taken.  As  to  the  part  of  my  conduct  you 
have  been  acquainted  with,  I  am  happy,  my  dear 
general,  to  find  it  has  met  with  your  approbation. 

When  the  return  of  the  British  fleet  put  it  out  of 
doubt  that  nothing  could  be  undertaken  for  the  pre- 
sent against  Portsmouth,  I  sent  pressing  orders  to 
Annapolis,  in  order  to  have  everything  in  readiness, 
and  even  to  move  the  troops  by  land  to  the  Head- 
of-Elk.  I  myself  hastened  back  to  Maryland,  but 
confess  I  could  not  resist  the  ardent  desire  I  had  of 
seeing  your  relations,  and,  above  all,  your  mother, 
at  Fredericksburg.  For  that  purpose  I  went 
some  miles  out  of  my  way,  and,  in  order  to  conci- 
liate my  private  happiness  to  duties  of  a  public 
nature,  I  recovered  by  riding  in  the  night  those  few 
hours  which  I  had  consecrated  to  my  satisfaction. 
I  had  also  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mount  Vernon,  and 
was  very  unhappy  that  my  duty  and  my  anxiety  for 
the  execution  of  your  orders  prevented  my  paying 
a  visit  to  Mr.  Curtis.* 

On  my  arrival  at  Annapolis,  I  found  that  our  pre- 
parations were  far  from  promising  a  speedy  de- 
parture. The  difficulty  of  getting  wagons  and 
horses  is  immense.  No  boats  sufficient  to  cross 
over  the  ferries.  The  state  is  very  desirous  of 

*  Son  of  Mrs.  Washington  by  a  former  marriage. 


398  CORRESPONDENCE, 

keeping  us  as  long  as  possible,  as  they  were  scared 
by  the  apparition  of  the  Hope,  twenty  guns,  and  the 
Monk,  eighteen  guns,  who  blockaded  the  harbour, 
and  who  (as  appeared  by  intercepted  letters)  were 
determined  to  oppose  our  movements. 

In  these  circumstances,  I  thought  it  better  to  con- 
tinue my  preparations  for  a  journey  by  land,  which, 
I  am  told,  would  have  lasted  ten  days,  on  account 
of  ferries,  and,  in  the  meanwhile,  had  two  eigh teen- 
pounders  put  on  board  a  small  sloop,  which  ap- 
peared ridiculous  to  some,  but  proved  to  be  of  great 
service.  In  the  morning  of  the  6th,  Commodore 
Nicholson  went  out  with  the  sloop  and  another 
vessel,  full  of  men.  Whether  the  sound  of  eighteen 
pounders,  or  the  fear  of  being  boarded,  operated 
upon  the  enemy,  I  am  not  able  to  say ;  but,  after 
some  manoeuvres,  they  retreated  so  far  as  to  render 
it  prudent  for  us  to  sail  to  this  place.  Every  vessel 
with  troops  and  stores  was  sent  in  the  night  by  the 
commodore,  to  whom  I  am  vastly  obliged ;  and 
having  brought  the  rear  with  the  sloop  and  other 
vessels,  I  arrived  this  morning  at  Elk.  It  is  re- 
ported that  the  ships  have  returned  to  their  stations  ; 
if  so,  they  must  have  been  reinforced  ;  their  com- 
mander had  already  applied  for  an  augmentation  of 
force. 

Before  I  left  Annapolis,  hearing  that  General 
Greene  was  in  ^ant  of  ammunition,  I  took  the 
liberty  of  leaving  for  the  southern  army  four  six- 
pounders,  with  three  hundred  rounds  each,  nearly 
a  hundred  thousand  cartridges,  and  some  small 
matters,  which  I  left  to  the  care  of  the  governor 
and  General  Smallwood,  requesting  them  to  have 
wagons  and  horses  impressed,  to  send  them  to  a 
place  of  safety,  where  they  must  be  by  this  time.  1 
also  wrote  to  the  governor  of  Virginia,  to  General 


1779,  1780,  1781.  399 

Greene,  and  the  baron.  These  stores  will  set  off  in 
a  few  days,  under  the  care  of  a  detachment,  for  the 
Maryland  line,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Stuart. 

In  consequence  of  previous  orders,  everything 
was  in  readiness  for  our  movement.  The  troops 
were  ordered  to  march  the  next  morning,  and  I 
expect  a  sufficiency  of  vessels  is  now  at  Wilmington 
or  Christiana  Creek ;  so  that  I  am  in  hopes  to  join 
your  excellency  in  a  very  few  days.  Your  letter  of 
the  6th,  ordering  me  to  the  southward,  is  just  come 
to  hand.  Had  I  been  still  at  Annapolis,  or  upon 
the  road  by  land,  and  of  course  with  the  same  means 
to  return  that  I  had  to  advance,  your  commands 
should  have  been  immediately  obeyed  ;  but  necessity 
keeps  us  here  for  some  days,  and  as  your  letters 
arrived  in  two  days,  your  answer  to  this  must  be 
here  before  we  are  in  a  situation  to  move. 

When  your  excellency  wrote  to  me,  I  was  sup- 
posed to  be  at  Annapolis,  or  very  near  that  place, 
with  the  means  of  returning,  which  makes  a  great 
difference.  Another  circumstance,  still  more  material, 
is,  that,  instead  of  joining  either  Arnold  or  Phillips 
(if  Phillips  be  there) ,  Lord  Cornwallis  is  so  disabled 
as  to  be  forced  to  a  retreat,  as  appears  from  General 
Greene's  letter. 

To  these  considerations  I  have  added  this  one, 
which  is  decisive  :  that  being  fitted  only  to  march 
twelve  miles,  part  of  it  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  and 
a  part  of  our  provisions  being  asked  for  from  Phila- 
delphia, it  is  impossible  to  have  the  necessary  ap- 
paratus to  march  and  subsist,  or  to  cross  ferries  on 
our  way  to  the  southern  army,  so  as  to  leave  this 
place  under  four  or  five  days.  As  to  a  transporta- 
tion through  the  bay,  we  cannot  expect  the  same 
good  luck  of  frightening  an  enemy,  who  must  know 


400  CORRESPONDENCE, 

how  despicable  our  preparations  are  ;  and  we  must, 
at  least,  wait  for  the  return  of  look-out  boats  which, 
if  sent  immediately,  will  not  possibly  return  under 
five  or  six  days. 

In  these  circumstances,  my  dear  general,  I  am 
going  to  make  every  preparation  to  march  to  Vir- 
ginia, so  as  to  be  ready  as  soon  as  possible.  I  shall 
keep  here  the  vessels,  and  will  also  keep  those  which 
have  been  ordered  to  Christiana  Creek.  This  state 
of  suspense  will  distract  the  enemy's  conjectures, 
and  put  me  in  a  situation  to  execute  your  excel- 
lency's orders,  which  will  be  here  before  I  can  be 
able  to  move  with  any  degree  of  advantage  towards 
the  southward. 

Had  it  been  possible  to  obey  to-morrow  morning, 
I  would  have  done  it  immediately ;  but  since  I  am 
obliged  to  make  preparations,  I  beg  leave  to  make 
these  observations,  which  I  should  have  been  allowed 
to  present,  had  I  been  at  the  meeting  of  general 
officers. 

The  troops  I  have  with  me  being  taken  from 
every  northern  regiment,  have  often  (though  without 
mentioning  it)  been  very  uneasy  at  the  idea  of 
joining  the  southern  army.  They  want  clothes  ; 
shoes  particularly  ;  they  expect  to  receive  clothes 
and  money  from  their  states.  This  would  be  a  great 
disappointment  for  both  officers  and  men.  Both 
thought  at  first  they  were  sent  out  for  a  few  days, 
and  provided  themselves  accordingly ;  both  came 
cheerfully  to  this  expedition,  but  both  have  had 
already  their  fears  at  the  idea  of  going  to  the  south- 
ward. They  will  certainly  obey,  but  they  will  be 
unhappy,  and  some  will  desert. 

Had  this  corps  considered  themselves  as  light 
infantry,  destined  for  the  campaign,  to  be  separated 
from  their  regiments,  it  would  be  attended  with  less 


1779,  1780,  1781.  401 

inconveniences  ;  and  such  a  corps,  in  the  course  of 
the  campaign,  might  be  brought  there  without  dif- 
ficulty, particularly  by  water,  as  they  would  be  pre- 
pared accordingly. 

Supposing  the  Jersey  line  were  to  join  the  de- 
tachment of  their  troops  at  this  place,  it  would  hardly 
make  any  difference,  as  we  have  been  but  five  days 
coming  from  Morristown  to  the  Head-of-Elk. 

These  considerations,  my  dear  general,  I  beg  you 
to  be  convinced,  are  not  influenced  by  personal  mo- 
tives. I  should  most  certainly  prefer  to  be  in 
a  situation  to  attack  New  York,  nor  should  I  like, 
in  an  operation  against  New  York,  to  see  you  de- 
prived of  the  New  England  light  infantry ;  but  I 
think  with  you,  that  these  motives  are  not  to  in- 
fluence our  determination,  if  this  be  the  best  way  to 
help  General  Greene.  « 

By  the  letters  I  have  received  from  my  two  friends, 
Marquis  de  Castries  and  Count  de  Vergennes,  I  am 
assured  that  we  shall  soon  get  an  answer  to  our 
propositions  against  New  York,  and  am  strongly  led 
to  hope  that,  having  a  naval  superiority,  the  army 
under  your  immediate  command  will  not  remain  in- 
active. 

At  all  events,  my  dear  general,  I  will  use  my  best 
endeavours  to  be  ready  to  move  either  way  as  soon 
as  possible ;  and  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  the 
highest  respect  and  affection,  &c. 


D  D 


402  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  COLONEL  HAMILTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Susquehannah  Ferry,  18th  April,  1781. 

DEAR  HAMILTON,* — You  are  so  sensible  a  fellow, 
that  you  can  certainly  explain  to  me  what  is  the 
matter  that  New  York  should  be  given  up ;  that  our 
letters  to  France  go  for  nothing ;  that  when  the 
French  are  coming,  I  am  going.  This  last  matter 
gives  great  uneasiness  to  the  minister  of  France. 
All  this  is  not  comprehensible  to  me,  who,  having 
been  long  from  head-quarters,  have  lost  the  course 
of  intelligence. 

Have  you  left  the  family,  my  dear  sir  ?  I  suppose 
so.  But  from  love  to  the  general,  for  whom  you 
know  my  affection,  I  ardently  wish  it  was  not  the 
case.  Many,  many  reasons  conspire  to  this  desire 
of  mine  ;  but  if  you  do  leave  it,  and  if  I  go  to  exile, 
come  and  partake  it  with  me.  Yours,  &c. 

*  The  llth  of  April,  Washington  renewed,  with  more  detail, 
his  instructions  upon  the  movement  to  the  south,  and  General 
Greene,  desiring  to  carry  the  theatre  of  war  into  South  Carolina, 
urged  General  Lafayette  to  march  upon  the  capital  of  Virginia. 
The  latter  made  his  preparations  accordingly,  and  with  great 
activity,  in  spite  of  the  regret  he  experienced,  and  the  diffi- 
culties he  encountered.  He  deplored,  in  truth,  that  long-pro- 
mised expedition  on  New  York  being  abandoned ;  and  he  had 
to  combat  the  repugnance  of  the  troops,  who  threatened  to 
become  weakened  by  desertion.  This  was  the  subject  of  several 
long  letters  we  have  thought  proper  to  suppress.  He  wrote, 
also,  frequently,  to  Colonel  Hamilton,  and  we  may  see  some  of 
those  letters  in  the  life  of  the  latter.  We  have  only  inserted 
this  one  letter,  which  expresses  all  he  felt.  Hamilton,  at  that 
period,  having  had  a  coolness  with  Washington,  wished  to  quit 
his  staff;  and  it  was  in  reality  as  an  officer  of  the  line  that  he 
took  part  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown. — (See  his  Life,  vol.  i., 
chap,  xiii.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.        403 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Baltimore,  April  18th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Every  one  of  my  letters  were 
written  in  so  lamentable  a  tone,  that  I  am  happy 
to  give  you  a  pleasanter  prospect.  The  anxiety  I 
feel  to  relieve  your  mind  from  a  small  part  of  those 
many  solicitudes  and  cares  which  our  circumstances 
conspire  to  gather  upon  you,  is  the  reason  of  my 
sending  this  letter  by  the  chain  of  communication, 
and  with  a  particular  recommendation.  When  I 
left  Susquehannah  Ferry,  it  was  the  general  opinion 
that  we  could  not  have  six  hundred  men  by  the 
time  we  should  arrive  at  our  destination.  This, 
and  the  shocking  situation  of  the  men  offered  the 
more  gloomy  prospects,  as  the  board  of  war  have 
confessed  their  total  inability  to  afford  us  relief. 
Under  these  circumstances,  I  have  employed  every 
personal  exertion,  and  have  the  pleasure  to  in- 
form you  that  desertion  has,  1  hope,  been  put  to 
an  end. 

On  my  arrival  on  this  side  of  the  Susquehannah, 
I  made  an  order  for  the  troops,  wherein  I  endea- 
voured to  throw  a  kind  of  infamy  upon  desertion, 
and  to  improve  every  particular  affection  of  theirs. 
Since  then,  desertion  has  been  lessened.  Two  de- 
serters have  been  taken  up ;  one  of  whom  has  been 
hanged  to-day,  and  the  other  (being  an  excellent  sol- 
dier) will  be  forgiven,  but  dismissed  from  the  corps, 
as  well  as  another  soldier  who  behaved  amiss.  To 
these  measures,  I  have  added  one  which  my  feelings 
for  the  sufferings  of  the  soldiers,  and  the  peculiarity 
of  their  circumstances,  have  prompted  me  to  adopt. 

The  merchants  of  Baltimore  lent  me  a  sum  of 

DD2 


404  CORRESPONDENCE, 

about  2,000/.,  which  will  procure  some  shirts, 
linen,  overalls,  shoes,  and  a  few  hats.  The  ladies 
will  make  up  the  shirts,  and  the  overalls  will  be 
made  by  the  detachment,  so  that  our  soldiers  have 
a  chance  of  being  a  little  more  comfortable.  The 
money  is  lent  upon  my  credit,  and  I  become 
security  for  the  payment  of  it  in  two  years'  time, 
when,  by  the  French  laws,  I  may  better  dispose  of 
my  estate.  But  before  that  time,  I  shah1  use  my 
influence  with  the  French  court,  in  order  to  have 
this  sum  of  money  added  to  any  loan  congress  may 
have  been  able  to  obtain  from  them. 

In  case  you  are  told,  my  dear  general,  that  my 
whole  baggage  has  been  taken  in  the  bay,  I  am 
sorry  I  cannot  discountenance  the  report.  But 
when  the  mention  of  papers  and  maps  is  made, 
do  not  apprehend  anything  bad  for  the  papers  or 
maps  you  have  put  in  my  possession.  Nothing  has 
been  lost  but  writing  paper  and  printed  maps.  The 
fact  is  this  :  when  at  York,  I  had  some  continental 
soldiers  and  my  baggage  to  send  up  in  a  safe  barge 
and  an  unsafe  boat.  I,  of  course,  gave  the  barge 
to  the  soldiers,  who  easily  went  to  Annapolis.  The 
baggage  was  put  into  the  boat,  and  has  not  been  since 
heard  of.  But  being  aware  of  the  danger,  I  took  by 
land  with  me  every  article  that  was,  on  public  ac- 
counts, in  the  least  valuable.  By  a  letter  from  Baron 
de  Steuben,  dated  Chesterfield  Court  House  the  10th 
of  April,  I  find  that  General  Phillips  has  at  Ports- 
mouth 1500  or  2000  men  added  to  the  force  under 
Arnold.  Proper  allowance  being  made  for  exag- 
gerations, I  apprehend  that  his  whole  army  amounts 
to  2800  men,  which  obliges  me  to  hasten  my  march 
to  Fredericksburg  and  Richmond,  where  I  expect 
to  receive  orders  from  General  Greene. 

The  importance  of  celerity,  the  desire  of  length- 


1779,   1780,  1781.  405 

ening  the  way  home,  and  immense  delays  that  would 
stop  me  for  an  age,  have  determined  me  to  leave 
our  tents,  artillery,  &c.,  under  a  guard,  and  with 
orders  to  follow  as  fast  as  possible,  while  the  rest 
of  the  detachment,  by  forced  marches,  and  with 
impressed  wagons  and  horses,  will  hasten  to 
Fredericksburg  or  Richmond,  and  by  this  derange 
the  calculations  of  the  enemy.  We  set  off  to-morrow, 
and  this  rapid  mode  of  travelling,  added  to  my 
other  precautions,  will,  I  hope,  keep  up  our  spirits 
and  good  humour.* 

I  am,  my  dear  general,  &c. 

P.  S.  The  word  lessened  does  not  convey  a  suffi- 
cient idea  of  what  experience  has  proved  to  be  true, 
to  the  honour  of  our  excellent  soldiers.  It  had 
been  announced  in  general  orders,  that  the  detach- 
ment was  intended  to  fight  an  enemy  far  superior 
in  number,  under  difficulties  of  every  sort.  That 
the  general  was,  for  his  part,  determined  to  en- 

*  This  letter  announces  the  real  commencement  of  the  Vir- 
ginian campaign.  M.  de  Lafayette  marched  upon  Richmond, 
and  thus  wrote  on  the  4th  of  May : — 

"  The  leaving  of  my  artillery  appears  a  strange  whim,  but 
had  I  waited  for  it,  Richmond  had  been  lost.  It  is  not  without 
trouble  I  have  made  this  rapid  march.  General  Phillips  has 
expressed  to  a  flag  officer  the  astonishment  he  felt  at  our 
celerity ;  and  when  on  the  30th,  as  he  was  going  to  give  the 
signal  to  attack,  he  reconnoitred  our  position,  Mr.  Osburn, 
who  was  with  him,  says,  that  he  flew  into  a  violent  passion,  and 
swore  vengeance  against  me  and  the  corps  I  had  brought  with 
me." 

The  subsequent  operations  are  given  in  detail,  both  in  the 
Memoirs,  and  in  a  relation  of  the  campaign  ;  it  was,  therefore, 
thought  proper  to  suppress  the  greatest  part  of  the  letters  in 
which  M.  de  Lafayette  gave  an  account  of  them  to  General 
Washington.  To  each  of  those  letters  is  usually  annexed  a 
copy  of  his  official  reports  to  General  Greene. 


406  CORRESPONDENCE, 

counter  them,  but  that  such  of  the  soldiers  as  had 
an  inclination  to  abandon  him,  might  dispense  with 
the  danger  and  crime  of  desertion,  as  every  one  of 
them  who  should  apply  to  head-quarters  for  a  pass 
to  join  their  corps  in  the  north  might  be  sure  to 
obtain  it  immediately. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Alexandria,  April  23rd,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Great  happiness  is  derived 
from  friendship,  and  I  experience  it  particularly 
in  the  attachment  which  unites  me  to  you.  But 
friendship  has  its  duties,  and  the  man  who  likes  you 
best,  will  be  the  first  to  let  you  know  everything 
in  which  you  may  be  concerned. 

When  the  enemy  came  to  your  house,  many 
negroes  deserted  to  them.  This  piece  of  news  did 
not  affect  me  much,  as  I  little  value  these  matters. 
But  you  cannot  conceive  how  unhappy  I  have  been 
to  hear  that  Mr.  Lund  Washington  went  on  board 
the  enemy's  vessels,  and  consented  to  give  them 
provisions. 

This  being  done  by  the  gentleman  who,  in  some 
measure,  represents  you  at  your  house,  will  cer- 
tainly have  a  bad  effect,  and  contrasts  with  spirited 
answers  from  some  neighbours  that  have  had  their 
houses  burnt  accordingly. 

You  will  do  what  you  think  proper  about  it,  my 
dear  general ;  but,  as  your  friend,  it  was  my  duty 
confidentially  to  mention  the  circumstances. 

With  the  help  of  some  wagons  and  horses,  we 
got,  in  two  days,  from  the  camp,  near  Baltimore,  to 
this  place.  We  halted  yesterday,  and  having  made 


1779,  1780,  1781.  407 

a  small  bargain  for  a  few  pair  of  shoes,  are  now 
marching  to  Fredericksburg.  No  official  account 
from  Phillips,  but  I  am  told  they  are  removing 
stores  from  Richmond  and  Petersburg.  I  am 
surprised  nobody  writes  to  me,  and  hope  soon  to 
receive  intelligence. 

Our  men  are  in  high  spirits.  Their  honour  having 
been  interested  in  this  affair,  they  have  made  a 
point  to  come  with  us  ;  and  murmurs,  as  well  as 
desertion,  are  entirely  out  of  fashion.  Requesting 
my  best  respects  to  Mrs.  Washington,  and  my  com- 
pliments to  the  family,  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
with  those  sentiments  which  you  know,  &c. 


FROM  GENERAL  WASHINGTON  TO  MARQUIS 
DE  LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

New  Windsor,  May  4,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  MARQUIS, — The  freedom  of  your  com- 
munications is  an  evidence  to  me  of  the  sincerity  of 
your  attachment,  and  every  fresh  instance  of  this  gives 
pleasure  and  adds  strength  to  the  bond  which  unites 
us  in  friendship.  In  this  light  I  view  the  intimation 
respecting  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Lund  Washington. 
Some  days  previous  to  the  receipt  of  your  letter, 
which  only  came  to  my  hands  yesterday,  I  received 
an  account  of  this  transaction  from  that  gentleman 
himself,  and  immediately  wrote  and  forwarded  the 
answer,  of  which  the  enclosed  is  a  copy.  This  let- 
ter, which  was  written  in  the  moment  of  my  obtain- 
ing the  first  intimation  of  the  matter,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  a  testimony  of  my  disapprobation  of  his 
conduct,  and  the  transmission  of  it  to  you,  as  a 


408  CORRESPONDENCE, 

proof  of  my  friendship  ;  because  I  wish  you  to  be 
assured,  that  no  man  can  condemn  the  measure 
more  sincerely  than  I  do, 

A  false  idea,  arising  from  the  consideration  of  his 
being  my  steward,  and  in  that  character  more  the 
trustee  and  guardian  of  my  property  than  the  repre- 
sentative of  my  honour,  has  misled  his  judgment 
and  plunged  him  into  error,  upon  the  appearance  of 
desertion  among  my  negroes,  and  danger  to  my 
buildings  ;  for  sure  I  am,  that  no  man  is  more  firmly 
opposed  to  the  enemy  than  he  is.  From  a  thorough 
conviction  of  this,  and  of  his  integrity,  I  entrusted 
every  species  of  my  property  to  his  care,  without 
reservation  or  fear  of  his  abusing  it.  The  last  para- 
graph of  my  letter  to  him  was  occasioned  by  an 
expression  of  his  fear,  that  all  the  estates  convenient 
to  the  river  would  be  stripped  of  their  negroes  and 
moveable  property. 

I  am  very  happy  to  find  that  desertion  has  ceased, 
and  content  has  taken  place,  in  the  detachment  you 
command.  Before  this  letter  can  reach  you,  you 
must  have  taken  your  ultimate  resolution  upon  the 
proposal  contained  in  my  letters  of  the  21st  and 
22nd  ultimo,  and  have  made  the  consequent  ar- 
rangements. I  shall  be  silent,  therefore,  on  the 
subject  of  them,  and  only  beg,  in  case  you  should 
not  return  to  this  army,  and  the  papers  were  not 
lost  with  your  other  baggage  (on  which  event  give 
me  leave  to  express  my  concern)  that  you  would 
permit  M.  Capitaine  to  furnish  me  with  copies  of 
the  drafts,  and  the  remarks  of  the  pilots  (taken  at 
Colonel  Day's)  on  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  of 
New  York.  It  is  possible  they  may  be  wanted, 
and  I  am  not  able  to  furnish  them  without  your 
assistance. 

Mrs.  Washington  and  the  rest  of  my  small  family, 


1779,   1780,   1781.  409 

which,  at  present,  consists  only  of  Tilghman  and 
Humphreys,  join  me  in  cordial  salutations,  and, 
with  sentiments  of  the  purest  esteem  and  most 
affectionate  regard,  I  remain,  my  dear  marquis,  &c. 


FROM    GENERAL    WASHINGTON    TO    LUND 
WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

New  Windsor,  April  30,  1781. 

DEAR  LUND, — I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  of  your  loss ;  I  am  a 
little  sorry  to  hear  of  my  own  ;  but  that  which  gives  me  most 
concern  is,  that  you  should  go  on  board  the  enemy's  vessels, 
and  furnish  them  with  refreshments.  It  would  have  been  a  less 
painful  circumstance  to  me  to  have  heard  that,  in  consequence 
of  your  non-compliance  with  their  request,  they  had  burnt  my 
house  and  laid  the  plantation  in  ruins.  You  ought  to  have  con- 
sidered yourself  as  my  representative,  and  should  have  reflected 
on  the  bad  example  of  communicating  with  the  enemy,  and 
making  a  voluntary  offer  of  refreshments  to  them,  with  a  view 
to  prevent  a  conflagration. 

It  was  not  in  your  power,  I  acknowledge,  to  prevent  them 
from  sending  a  flag  on  shore,  and  you  did  right  to  meet  it ;  but 
you  should,  in  the  same  instant  that  the  business  of  it  was  un- 
folded, have  declared  explicitly,  that  it  was  improper  for  you  to 
yield  to  the  request ;  after  which,  if  they  had  proceeded  to  help 
themselves  by  force,  you  could  but  have  submitted,  and,  being 
unprovided  for  defence,  this  was  to  be  preferred  to  a  feeble  op- 
position, which  only  serves  as  a  pretext  to  burn  and  destroy. 

I  am  thoroughly  persuaded  that  you  acted  from  your  best 
judgment,  and  believe  that  your  desire  to  preserve  my  property, 
and  rescue  the  buildings  from  impending  danger,  was  your  go- 
verning motive ;  but  to  go  on  board  their  vessels,  carry  them 
refreshments,  commune  with  a  parcel  of  plundering  scoundrels, 
and  request  a  favour  by  asking  a  surrender  of  my  negroes,  was 
exceedingly  ill  judged,  and,  it  is  to  be  feared,  will  be  unhappy  in 
its  consequences,  as  it  will  be  a  precedent  for  others,  and,  may 
be,  become  a  subject  of  animadversion. 

I  have  no  doubt  of  the  enemy's  intention  to  prosecute  the 
plundering  plan  they  have  begun  ;  and,  unless  a  stop  can  be  put 
to  it  by  the  arrival  of  a  superior  naval  force,  I  have  as  little 


410  CORRESPONDENCE, 

doubt  of  its  ending  in  the  loss  of  all  my  negroes,  and  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  ray  houses.  But  I  am  prepared  for  the  event,  under  the 
prospect  of  which,  if  you  could  deposit  in  a  place  of  safety  the 
most  valuable  and  less  bulky  articles,  it  might  be  consistent 
with  policy  and  prudence,  and  a  means  of  preserving  them  here- 
after. Such  and  so  many  things  as  are  necessary  for  common 
and  present  use  must  be  retained,  and  must  run  their  chance 
through  the  fiery  trial  of  this  summer.  I  am  sincerely,  yours. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  Wilton,  on  James  River,  May  17,  1781. 
DEAR  GENERAL, — My  correspondence  with  one  of 
the  British  generals,  and  my  refusal  of  a  corres- 
pondence with  the  other,  may  be,  perhaps,  misre- 
presented, I  shall  therefore  give  an  account  of  what 
has  passed,  and  I  hope  your  excellency  and  General 
Greene  will  approve  of  my  conduct.  On  the  arrival 
of  our  detachment  at  Richmond,  three  letters  were 
brought  by  a  flag,  which  I  have  the  honour  to  in- 
close, and  which,  as  commander  of  the  troops  in 
this  state,  it  became  my  duty  to  answer.  The  en- 
closed letters  were  successively  sent  in  pursuit  of 
General  Phillips,  who  received  them  both  with  a 
degree  of  politeness  that  seemed  to  apologize  for 
his  unbecoming  style.  General  Phillips  being  dead 
of  a  fever,  an  officer  was  sent  with  a  passport  and 
letters  from  General  Arnold.  I  requested  the  gen- 
tleman to  come  to  my  quarters,  and  having  asked 
if  General  Phillips  was  dead,*  to  which  he  answered 

*  Gordon  places  the  death  of  General  Phillips  on  the  13th  of 
May  :  he  was  very  ill  in  his  bed,  when  a  cannon  ball  traversed 
his  bed-room. 

General  Phillips  commanded"  at  Minden  the  battery  whose 
cannon  killed  the  father  of  M.  de  Lafayette. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  411 

in  the  negative,  I  made  it  a  pretence  not  to  receive 
a  letter  from  General  Arnold,  which,  being  dated 
head-quarters,  and  directed  to  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  American  troops,  ought  to  come  from 
the  British  general  chief  in  command.  I  did,  how- 
ever, observe,  should  any  officers  have  written  to  me 
I  should  have  been  happy  to  receive  their  letters. 
The  next  day  the  officer  returned  with  the  same 
passport  and  letter,  and  informed  me  that  he  were 
now  at  liberty  to  declare  that  Phillips  was  dead, 
and  Arnold  was  commander-in- chief  of  the  British 
army  in  Virginia.  The  high  station  of  General 
Arnold  having  obliged  me  to  an  explanation,  the 
enclosed  note  was  sent  to  the  officer  of  the  flag,  and 
the  American  officer  verbally  assured  him  that  were 
I  requested  to  put  in  writing  a  minute  account  of 
my  motives,  my  regard  for  the  British  army  was 
such  that  I  would  cheerfully  comply  with  the  de- 
mand. 

Last  evening,  a  flag  of  ours  returned  from  Peters- 
burg, who  had  been  sent  by  the  commander  of  the 
advanced  corps,  and  happened  to  be  on  his  way 
while  the  British  officer  was  at  our  picquets.  In- 
closed is  the  note  written  by  General  Arnold,  in 
which  he  announces  his  determination  of  sending 
our  officers  and  men  to  the  West  Indies. 

The  British  general  cannot  but  perfectly  know 
that  I  am  not  to  treat  of  partial  exchanges,  and  that 
the  fate  of  the  continental  prisoners  must  be  re- 
gulated by  a  superior  authority  to  that  with  which 
I  am  invested. 

With  the  highest  respect,  I  have  the  honour  to 
be,  &c. 


412  CORRESPONDENCE, 


FROM    GENERAL    PHILLIPS    TO    THE    MARQUIS 
DE    LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

British  Camp,  at  Osborn,  April  28,  1781. 

SIR, — It  is  a  principle  of  the  British  army  engaged  in  the  pre- 
sent war,  which  they  esteem  as  an  unfortunate  one,  to  conduct 
it  with  every  attention  to  humanity  and  the  laws  of  war ;  and 
in  the  necessary  destruction  of  public  stores  of  every  kind,  to 
prevent,  as  far  as  possible,  that  of  private  property.  I  call 
upon  the  inhabitants  of  Yorktown,  Williamsburg,  Petersburg, 
and  Chesterfield,  for  a  proof  of  the  mild  treatment  they  have 
received  from  the  king's  troops ;  in  particular  at  Petersburg, 
when  the  town  was  saved  by  the  labour  of  the  soldiers,  which 
otherwise  must  have  perished  by  the  wilful  inactivity  of  its  in- 
habitants. 

I  have  now  a  charge  of  the  deepest  nature  to  make  against 
the  American  arms:  that  of  having  fired  upon  the  king's  troops 
by  a  flag  of  truce  vessel ;  and,  to  render  the  conduct  as  dis- 
cordant to  the  laws  of  arms,  the  flag  was  flying  the  whole  time 
at  the  mast  head,  seeming  to  sport  in  the  violation  of  the 
most  sacred  laws  of  war. 

You  are  sensible,  sir,  that  I  am  authorized  to  inflict  the  severest 
punishment  in  return  for  this  bad  conduct,  and  that  towns  and 
villages  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  king's  troops,  and  it  is  to  that 
mercy  alone  you  can  justly  appeal  for  their  not  being  reduced 
to  ashes.  The  compassion,  and  benevolence  of  disposition, 
which  has  marked  the  British  character  in  the  present  contest, 
still  govern  the  conduct  of  the  king's  officers,  and  I  shall  wil- 
lingly remit  the  infliction  of  any  redress  we  have  a  right  to 
claim,  provided  the  persons  who  fired  from  the  flag  of  truce 
vessel  are  delivered  into  my  possession,  and  a  public  disavowal 
made  by  you  of  their  conduct.  Should  you,  sir,  refuse  this,  I 
hereby  make  you  answerable  for  any  desolation  which  may 
follow  in  consequence. 

Your  ships  of  war,  and  all  other  vessels,  not  actually  in  our  pos- 
session in  James  River,  are,  however,  driven  beyond  a  possibility 
of  escaping,  and  are  in  the  predicament  and  condition  of  a  town 
blockaded  by  land,  where  it  is  contrary  to  the  rules  of  war  that 
any  public  stores  should  be  destroyed.  I  shall  therefore  demand 


1779,  1780,  1781.        413 

from  you,  sir,  a  full  account  of  whatever  may  be  destroyed  on 
hoard  vessels  or  otherwise,  and  need  not  mention  to  you  what 
the  rules  of  war  are  in  these  cases. 

I  am,  sir,  your  most  humble  servant, 

W.  PHILLIPS. 


FROM    GENERAL    PHILLIPS    TO    THE    MARQUIS 
DE    LAFAYETTE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  at  Osborn,  April  29th,  1781. 

SIR, — When  I  was  at  Williamsburg,  and  at  Petersburg,  I  gave 
several  inhabitants  and  country  people  protections  for  their  per- 
sons and  properties.  I  did  this  without  asking,  or  even  consider- 
ing, whether  these  people  were  either  friends  or  foes,  actuated 
by  no  other  motive  than  that  of  pure  humanity.  I  understand, 
from  almost  undoubted  authority,  that  several  of  these  persons 
have  been  taken  up  by  their  malicious  neighbours,  and  sent  to 
your  quarters,  where  preparations  are  making  for  their  being  ill 
treated  ;  a  report  which  I  sincerely  hope  may  be  without  found- 
ation. I  repeat  to  you,  sir,  that  my  protections  were  given 
generally  from  a  wish  that,  in  the  destruction  of  public  stores, 
as  little  damage  as  possible  might  be  done  to  private  property, 
and  to  the  persons  of  individuals ;  but  at  any  rate,  I  shall  insist 
upon  my  signs  manual  being  held  sacred,  and  I  am  obliged  to 
declare  to  you,  sir,  that  if  any  persons,  under  the  description  I 
have  given,  receive  ill  treatment,  I  shall  be  under  the  necessity 
of  sending  to  Petersburg,  and  giving  that  chastisement  to  the 
illiberal  persecutors  of  innocent  people,  which  their  conduct 
shall  deserve.  And  I  further  declare  to  you,  sir,  should  any 
person  be  put  to  death,  under  the  pretence  of  their  being  spies 
of,  or  friends  to,  the  British  government,  I  will  make  the  shores 
of  James  River  an  example  of  terror  to  the  rest  of  Virginia. 
It  is  from  the  violent  measures,  resolutions  of  the  present  house 
of  delegates,  council,  and  governor  of  Virginia,  that  I  am  im- 
pelled to  use  this  language,  which  the  common  temper  of  my 
disposition  is  hurt  at.  I  shall  hope  that  you,  sir,  whom  I  have 
understood  to  be  a  gentleman  of  liberal  principles,  will  not 
countenance,  still  less  permit  to  be  carried  into  execution,  the 


414  CORRESPONDENCE, 

barbarous  spirit  which  seems  to  prevail  in  the  coun?il  of  the 
present  civil  power  of  this  colony. 

I  do  assure  you,  sir,  I  am  extremely  inclined  to  carry  on  this 
unfortunate  contest  with  every  decree  of  humanity,  and  1  will 
believe  you  intend  doing  the  sanit-. 

I  am,  sir,  your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

W.  PHILLIPS. 


TO    MAJOR    GENERAL    PHILLIPS. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

American  camp,  April  30th,  1781. 

SIR, — Your  letters  of  the  26th,  28th,  and  29th.  came  yesterday 
to  hand.  The  duplicate  dated  at  Petersburg  being  rather  of  a 
private  nature,  it  has  been  delivered  to  Major-General  Baron 
de  Steuben.  I  am  sorry  the  mode  of  your  request  has  delayed 
the  civility  that  had  been  immediately  intended. 

From  the  beginning  of  this  war,  which  you  observe  is  an  un- 
fortunate one  to  Great  Britain,  the  proceedings  of  the  British 
troops  have  been  hitherto  so  far  from  evincing  benevolence  of 
disposition,  that  your  long  absence*  from  the  scene  of  action  is 
the  only  way  I  have  to  account  for  your  panegyrics.  I  give 

Cu  my  honour,  sir,  that  the  charge  against  a  flag  vessel  shall 
strictly  inquired  into,  and  in  case  the  report  made  to  you  is 
better  grounded  than  the  contrary  one  I  have  received,  you 
shall  obtain  every  redress  in  my  power,  that  you  have  any  right 
to  expect.  This  complaint  I  beg  leave  to  consider  as  the  only 
part  in  your  letter  that  requires  an  answer.  Such  articles  as 
the  requiring  that  the  persons  of  spies  be  held  sacred,  cannot 
certainly  be  serious. 

The  style  of  your  letters,  sir,  obliges  me  to  tell  you,  that 
should  your  future  favours  be  wanting  in  that  regard  due  to  the 
civil  and  military  authority  in  the  United  States,  which  cannot 
but  be  construed  into  a  want  of  respect  to  the  American  nation, 
I  shall  not  think  it  consistent  with  the  dignity  of  an  American 
officer  to  continue  the  correspondence. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

LAFAYETTE. 

*  General  Phillips  had  been  made  prisoner  at  Saratoga. 


1779,  1780,  1781.        415 

TO    MAJOR    GENERAL    PHILLIPS. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

May  3rd,  1781. 

SIR, — Your  assertion  relating  to  the  flag  vessel  was  so  positive, 
that  it  becomes  necessary  for  me  to  set  you  right  in  this  matter. 
Inclosed  I  have  the  honour  to  send  you  some  depositions,  by 
which  it  is  clearly  proved  that  there  has  been  on  our  side  no 
violation  of  flags. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  sir,  your  humble  servant, 

LAFAYETTE 


NOTE    FOR    CAPTAIN    EMYNE. 

May  15th,  1781. 

THE  Major-General  Marquis  de  Lafayette  has  the  honour  to 
present  his  compliments  to  Captain  Emyne,  and  begs  him  to 
recollect  that,  on  the  supposition  of  the  death  of  General 
Phillips,  he  said,  "  that  he  should  know  in  that  case  what  to 
do."  From  regard  to  the  English  army,  he  had  made  use  of 
the  most  polite  pretence  for  declining  all  correspondence  with 
the  English  general  who  is  at  this  moment  commander-in-chief. 
But  he  now  finds  himself  obliged  to  give  a  positive  denial.  la 
case  any  other  English  officer  should  honour  him  with  a  letter, 
he  would  always  be  happy  to  give  the  officers  every  testimony 
of  his  esteem. 


NOTE    FROM    GENERAL    ARNOLD    TO    CAPTAIN 
RAGEDALE. 

BRIGADIER-GENERAL  ARNOLD  presents  his  compliments  to 
Captain  Ragedale,  and  takes  the  liberty  of  informing  him,  that 
the  flag  of  truce  having  been  sent  by  Brigadier-General  Nelson, 
who  is  not  commander-in-chief  of  the  American  army,  is  an  in- 
admissible act.  The  letters  are  accordingly  sent  back  un- 
opened. If  Captain  Ragedale  thinks  proper  to  leave  them  with 
the  servants,  a  receipt  must  be  given  for  them. 

Brigadier-General  Arnold  has  given  orders  that  the  officers 
lately  taken  in  that  place  should  be  sent  to  New  York  ;  their 
baggage  will  follow  soon  after  them,  and  all  the  officers  and 
soldiers  of  the  American  army  that  shall  be  taken  prisoners  in 
future,  shall  be  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  unless  a  cartel  be  im- 
mediately granted  for  the  exchange  of  prisoners,  as  General 
Arnold  has  repeatedly  demanded. 

Head-quarters,  at  Petersburg,  17th  May,  1781. 


416  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Richmond,  May  24th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — My  official  letter,  a  copy  of 
which  I  send  to  congress,  will  let  you  know  the 
situation  of  affairs  in  this  quarter.  I  ardently  wish 
my  conduct  may  meet  with  your  approbation.  Had 
I  followed  the  first  impulsion  of  my  temper,  I  should 
have  risked  something  more ;  but  I  have  been 
guarding  against  my  own  warmth ;  and  this  consi- 
deration, that  a  general  defeat,  which,  with  such  a 
proportion  of  militia,  must  be  expected,  would  in- 
volve this  state  and  our  affairs  in  ruin,  has  ren- 
dered me  extremely  cautious  in  my  movements. 
Indeed,  I  am  more  embarrassed  to  move,  more 
crippled  in  my  projects,  than  we  have  been  in  the 
northern  states. 

As  I  am  for  the  present  fixed  in  the  command  of 
the  troops  in  this  state,  I  beg  it  as  a  great  favour 
that  you  will  send  me  Colonel  Gouvion.  Should  a 
junction  be  made  with  General  Greene,  he  will  act 
as  my  aide-de-camp.  Had  the  Pennsylvanians 
arrived  before  Lord  Cornwallis,  I  was  determined  to 
attack  the  enemy,  and  have  no  doubt  but  what  we 
should  have  been  successful.  Their  unaccountable 
delay  cannot  be  too  much  lamented,  and  will  make 
an  immense  difference  to  the  fate  of  this  campaign. 
Should  they  have  arrived  time  enough  to  support 
me  in  the  reception  of  Lord  Cornwallis's  first  stroke, 
I  should  still  have  thought  it  well  enough ;  but  from 
an  answer  of  General  Wayne,  received  this  day,  and 
dated  the  19th,  I  am  afraid  that  at  this  moment 
they  have  hardly  left  York  town. 

Public  stores  and  private  property  being  removed 
from  Richmond,  this  place  is  a  less  important  object. 


1779,  1780,   1781.  417 

I  don't  believe  it  would  be  prudent  to  expose  the 
troops  for  the  sake  of  a  few  houses,  most  of  which 
are  empty ;  but  I  am  wavering  between  two  incon- 
veniences. Were  I  to  fight  a  battle,  I  should  be  cut 
to  pieces,  the  militia  dispersed,  and  the  arms  lost. 
Were  I  to  decline  fighting,  the  country  would  think 
itself  given  up.  I  am  therefore  determined  to 
skirmish,  but  not  to  engage  too  far,  and  particularly 
to  take  care  against  their  immense  and  excellent 
body  of  horse,  whom  the  militia  fear  as  they  would 
so  many  wild  beasts. 

A  letter  from  General  Greene  to  General  Sumner 
is  dated  5th  May,  seven  miles  below  Camden.  The 
baron  is  going  to  him  with  some  recruits,  and  will 
get  more  in  North  Carolina.  When  the  Penn- 
sylvanians  come,  I  am  only  to  keep  them  a 
few  days,  which  I  will  improve  as  well  as  I  can. 
Cavalry  is  very  necessary  to  us.  I  wish  Lauzun's 
legion  could  come.  I  am  sure  he  will  like  to  serve 
with  me,  and  as  General  Greene  gave  me  command 
of  the  troops  in  this  state,  Lauzun  might  remain 
with  me  in  Virginia.  If  not,  Shelden's  dragoons 
might  be  sent.  As  to  Moylan,  I  do  not  believe  he 
will  be  ready  for  a  long  time. 

Were  I  anyways  equal  to  the  enemy,  I  should  be 
extremely  happy  in  my  present  command,  but  I  am 
not  strong  enough  even  to  get  beaten.  Government 
in  this  state  has  no  energy,  and  laws  have  no  force. 
But  I  hope  this  assembly  will  put  matters  upon  a 
better  footing.  I  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  put 
the  departments  in  a  tolerable  train ;  our  expenses 
were  enormous,  and  yet  we  can  get  nothing. 
Arrangements  for  the  present  seem  to  put  on  a 
better  face,  but  for  this  superiority  of  the  enemy, 
which  will  chase  us  wherever  they  please.  They 
can  overrun  the  country,  and,  until  the  Pennsyl- 

VOL.  I.  E  B 


418  CORRESPONDENCE, 

vanians  arrive,  we  are  next  to  nothing  in  point  of 
opposition  to  so  large  a  force.  This  country  begins 
to  be  as  familiar  to  me  as  Tappan  and  Bergen.  Our 
soldiers  are  hitherto  very  healthy  :  I  have  turned 
doctor,  and  regulate  their  diet.  Adieu,  my  dear 
general.  Let  me  hear  sometimes  from  you ;  your 
letters  are  a  great  happiness  to  your  affectionate 
friend,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.^ 

Camp,  28th  June,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Inclosed,  I  have  the  honour 
to  send  you  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  General  Greene. 
The  enemy  have  been  so  kind  as  to  retire  before 
us.*  Twice  I  gave  them  a  chance  of  fighting 
(taking  care  not  to  engage  farther  than  I  pleased), 
but  they  continued  their  retrograde  motions.  Our 

*  It  was  the  20th  of  May  that  Lord  Cornwallis  effected  his 
junction  with  the  troops  of  Arnold,  whose  unexpected  opposi- 
tion re-established  the  affairs  of  the  English  in  Virginia.  The 
war  became  from  that  moment  extremely  active,  and  the  move- 
ments of  the  two  armies  very  complicated.  M.  de  Lafayette 
maintained  his  position,  and  experienced  no  other  check  than 
the  loss  of  some  magazines,  at  the  forks  of  James  River,  which 
had  been  confided  to  the  care  of  Baron  Steuben.  His  position 
was,  however,  rather  a  defensive  one,  until  the  period  at  which 
that  letter  was  written,  when  the  English  abandoned  Richmond. 
Cornwallis  obtained,  and  usually  by  the  aid  of  negroes,  the  best 
horses  of  Virginia.  He  had  mounted  an  advance-guard  of 
Tarleton  on  race-hores,  who,  like  birds  of  prey,  seized  all  they 
met  with,  so  that  they  had  taken  many  couriers  who  were  bearers 
of  letters.  Cornwallis  stopped  once  during  his  retrograde  march 
on  Williamsburg ;  the  Americans  being  close  to  him,  it  was 
thought  an  affair  would  take  place,  but  he  continued  on  his  road. 
It  was  before  he  reached  Williamsburg  that  his  rear-guard  was 


1779,   1780,   1781.  419 

numbers  are,  I  think,  exaggerated  to  them,  and  our 
seeming  boldness  confirms  the  opinion. 

I  thought,  at  first,  Lord  Cornwallis  wanted  to  get 
me  as  low  down  as  possible,  and  use  his  cavalry  to 
advantage.  But  it  appears  that  he  does  not  as  yet 
come  out,  and  our  position  will  admit  of  a  partial 
atiair.  His  lordship  had  (exclusive  of  the  rein- 
forcement from  Portsmouth,  said  to  be  six  hundred) 
four  thousand  men,  eight  hundred  of  whom  were 
dragoons,  or  mounted  infantry.  Our  force  is  about 
equal  to  his,  but  only  one  thousand  five  hundred 
regulars  and  fifty  dragoons.  Our  little  action  more 
particularly  marks  the  retreat  of  the  enemy.  From 
the  place  whence  he  first  began  to  retire  to  Williams- 
burg  is  upwards  of  one  hundred  miles.  The  old  arms 
at  the  Point  of  Fork  have  been  taken  out  of  the  water. 
The  cannon  was  thrown  into  the  river,  undamaged, 
when  they  marched  back  to  Richmond  ;  so  that  his 
lordship  did  us  no  harm  of  any  consequence,  but  lost 

attacked  by  the  advance  corps  of  Lafayette  under  Colonel  Butler. 
He  evacuated  Williamsburg  the  4th;  Lafayette  had  done  all  he 
could  to  convince  him  that  his  own  forces  were  more  considerable 
than  they  really  were.  Either  the  night  of,  or  two  nights  before, 
the  evacuation  of  Williamsburg,  a  double  spy  had  taken  a  false 
order  of  the  day  to  Lord  Cornwallis, — found,  he  said,  in  the 
camp, — which  ordered  General  Morgan's  division  to  take  a  cer- 
tain position  in  the  line.  The  fact  was,  that  General  Morgan 
had  arrived  in  person,  but  unaccompanied  by  troops.  Dr. 
Gordon  justly  observes,  that  Lord  Cornwallis,  from  Charles- 
town  to  Williamsburg,  had  made  more  than  eleven  hundred  miles, 
without  counting  deviations,  which  amounts,  reckoning  those  de- 
viations, to  five  hundred  leagues.  The  whole  march  through 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  and  the  campaign  against  Lafayette, 
were  effected  without  tents  or  equipages,  which  confers  honour 
on  the  activity  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  justifies  the  reputation 
he  had  acquired,  of  being  the  best  British  general  employed  in 
that  war. — (Extract  of  Manuscript,  No.  2.) 

E  £   2 


420  CORRESPONDENCE, 

an  immense  part  of  his  former  conquests,  and  did  not 
make  any  in  this  state.  General  Greene  only  de- 
manded of  me  to  hold  my  ground  in  Virginia.  But 
the  movements  of  Lord  Cornwallis  may  answer  better 
purposes  than  that  in  the  political  line.  Adieu,  my 
dear  general;  I  don't  know  but  what  we  shall,  in  our 
turn,  become  the  pursuing  enemy ;  and  in  the  mean- 
while, have  the  honour  to  be,  &c. 


EXTRACTS  OF  SEVERAL  LETTERS  TO 
GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Ambler's  Plantation,  July  8th,  1781. 

THE  inclosed  copy,  my  dear  general,  will  give  you 
an  account  of  our  affairs  in  this  quarter.  Agreeably 
to  your  orders  I  have  avoided  a  general  action,  and 
when  Lord  Cornwallis's  movements  indicated  that  it 
was  against  his  interest  to  fight,  I  ventured  partial 
engagements.  His  lordship  seems  to  have  given 
up  the  conquest  of  Virginia.  It  has  been  a  great 
secret  that  our  army  was  not  superior,  and  was  most 

*  From  Williamsburg,  the  English  retreated  towards  Ports- 
mouth, near  the  mouth  of  James  River,  and  consequently 
not  far  from  Chesapeak  Bay.  The  sea  was  open  to  them,  and 
those  repeated  retrograde  movements  seemed  to  indicate  the 
project  of  evacuating  Virginia.  M.  de  Lafayette,  therefore, 
when  he  learnt  that  they  were  embarking  on  board  their  ships, 
never  doubted  but  that  their  intention  was  to  leave  that  part  of  the 
country,  to  repair,  in  all  probability,  to  New  York.  But  it  became 
evident,  at  the  same  time,  that  if  those  naval  forces  appeared 
upon  the  coast,  they  would  be  blockaded  without  any  means  of 
escape.  This  is  what  occasioned  their  inexplicable  and  un- 
hoped for  retreat  upon  Yorktown  and  Gloucester. 


1779,   1780,   1781.  421 

generally  inferior,  to  the  enemy's  numbers.  Our 
returns  were  swelled  up,  as  militia  returns  generally 
are  ;  but  we  had  very  few  under  arms,  particularly 
lately,  and  to  conceal  the  lessening  of  our  numbers,  I 
was  obliged  to  push  on  as  one  who  had  heartily 
wished  a  general  engagement.  Our  regulars  did 
not  exceed  one  thousand  five  hundred,  the  enemy 
had  four  thousand  regulars,  eight  hundred  of  whom 
were  mounted  :  they  thought  we  had  eight  thousand 
men.  I  never  encamped  in  a  line,  and  there  was 
greater  difficulty  to  come  at  our  numbers. 

Malvan  Hill,  July  20th. 

WHEN  I  went  to  the  southward,  you  know  I  had 
some  private  objections ;  but  I  became  sensible  of 
the  necessity  there  was  for  the  detachment  to  go, 
and  I  knew  that  had  I  returned  there  was  nobody 
that  could  lead  them  on  against  their  inclination. 
My  entering  this  state  was  happily  marked  by  a 
service  to  the  capital.  Virginia  became  the  grand 
object  of  the  enemy,  as  it  was  the  point  to  which 
the  ministry  tended.  I  had  the  honour  to  command 
an  army  and  oppose  Lord  Cornwallis.  When  in- 
comparably inferior  to  him,  fortune  was  pleased  to 
preserve  us  ;  when  equal  in  numbers,  though  not 
in  quality  of  troops,  we  have  also  been  pretty  lucky. 
Cornwallis  had  the  disgrace  of  a  retreat,  and  this  state 
being  recovered,  government  is  properly  re-estab- 
lished. The  enemy  are  under  the  protection  of  their 
works  at  Portsmouth.  It  appears  an  embarkation 
is  taking  place,  probably  destined  to  New  York. 
The  war  in  this  state  would  then  become  a  plunder- 
ing one,  and  great  manoeuvres  be  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. A  prudent  officer  would  do  our  business  here, 
and  the  baron  is  prudent  to  the  utmost.  Would 
it  be  possible,  my  dear  general,  in  case  a  part  of 


422  CORRESPONDENCE, 

the  British  troops  go  to  New  York,  I  may  be 
allowed  to  join  the  combined  armies  ? 

Malvan  Hill,  July  20th. 

No  accounts  from  the  northward,  no  letter  from 
head  quarters.  I  am  entirely  a  stranger  to  every 
thing  that  passes  out  of  Virginia ;  and  Virginian 
operations  being  for  the  present  in  a  state  of  languor, 
I  have  more  time  to  think  of  my  solitude  ;  in  a  word, 
my  dear  general,  I  am  home  sick,  and  if  I  cannot  go 
to  head  quarters,  wish  at  least  to  hear  from  thence. 
I  am  anxious  to  know  your  opinion  concerning  the 
Virginian  campaign.  That  the  subjugation  of  this 
state  was  the  great  object  of  the  ministry  is  an 
indisputable  fact.  I  think  your  diversion  has  been 
of  more  use  to  the  state  than  my  manoeuvres  ;  but 
the  latter  have  been  much  directed  by  political 
views.  So  long  as  my  lord  wished  for  an  action, 
not  one  gun  has  been  fired ;  the  moment  he  declined 
it,  we  have  been  skirmishing  ;  but  I  took  care  never 
to  commit  the  army.  His  naval  superiority,  his 
superiority  of  horse,  of  regulars,  his  thousand  ad- 
vantages over  us,  so  that  I  am  lucky  to  have  come  off 
safe.  I  had  an  eye  upon  European  negotiations,  and 
made  it  a  point  to  give  his  lordship  the  disgrace  of 
a  retreat. 

From  every  account  it  appears  that  a  part  of  the 
army  will  embark.  The  light  infantry,  the  guards, 
the  80th  regiment,  and  the  Queen's  rangers,  are,  it  is 
said,  destined  to  New  York.  Lord  Cornwallis,  I  am 
told,  is  much  disappointed  in  his  hopes  of  command. 
I  cannot  find  out  what  he  does  with  himself.  Should 
he  go  to  England,  we  are,  I  think,  to  rejoice  for  it ; 
he  is  a  cold  and  active  man,  two  dangerous  qualities 
in  this  southern  war. 

The  clothing  you  have  long  ago  sent  to  the  light 


1779,   1780?   1781.  423 

infantry  is  not  yet  arrived.  I  have  been  obliged  to 
send  for  it,  and  expect  it  in  a  few  days.  These 
three  battalions  are  the  best  troops  that  ever  took  the 
field  ;  my  confidence  in  them  is  unbounded  ;  they  are 
far  superior  to  any  British  troops,  and  none  will 
ever  venture  to  meet  them  in  equal  numbers.  What 
a  pity  these  men  are  not  employed  along  with  the 
French  grenadiers  ;  they  would  do  eternal  honour 
to  our  arms.  But  their  presence  here,  I  must  con- 
fess, has  saved  this  state,  and,  indeed,  the  southern 
part  of  the  continent. 

Malvan  Hill,  July  26th. 

I  HAD  some  days  ago  the  honour  to  write  to  your 
excellency,  and  informed  you  that  a  detachment 
from  the  British  army  would  probably  embark  at 
Portsmouth.  The  battalions  of  light  infantry  and  the 
Queen's  rangers  were  certainly,  and  the  guards,  with 
one  or  two  British  regiments,  were  likely  to  be, 
ordered  upon  that  service.  My  conjectures  have 
proved  true,  and  forty-nine  sail  have  fallen  down  in 
Hampton-road,  the  departure  of  which  I  expect  to 
hear  every  minute.  A  British  officer,  a  prisoner,  lately 
mentioned  that  Lord  Cornwallis  himself  was  going. 
It  appears  the  enemy  have  some  cavalry  on  board. 
The  conquest  of  Virginia,  and  the  establishment  of 
the  British  power  in  this  state,  not  having  succeeded 
to  the  expectation  of  the  British  court,  a  lesser  num- 
ber might  be  sufficient  for  the  present  purpose,  and 
two  thousand  men  easily  spared.  So  that  I  do  not 
believe  the  present  embarkation  is  under  that  num- 
ber ;  so  far  as  a  land  force  can  oppose  naval  opera- 
tions and  naval  superiority,  I  think  the  position 
now  occupied  by  the  main  body  of  our  small  army 
affords  the  best  chance  to  support  the  several  parts 
of  Virginia. 


424  CORRESPONDENCE, 

Mai  van  Hill,  July  30th. 

SOME  expressions  in  your  last  favour  will,  if  pos- 
sible, augment  my  vigilance  in  keeping  you  well 
apprised  of  the  enemy's  movements.*  There  are  in 
Hampton-road  thirty  transport  ships  full  of  troops, 
most  of  them  red  coats.  There  are  eight  or  ten 
brigs  which  have  cavalry  on  board,  they  had  ex- 
cellent winds  and  yet  they  are  not  gone.  Some  say 
they  have  received  advices  from  New  York  in  a 
row  boat  :  the  escort,  as  I  mentioned  before,  is  the 
Charon,  and  several  frigates,  the  last  account  says 
seven.  I  cannot  be  positive,  and  do  not  even  think 
Lord  Cornwallis  has  been  fully  determined. 

I.have  sent,  by  a  safe  hand,  to  call  out  some  militia, 
mount  some  cannon  at  the  passes,  and  take  out  of 
the  way  every  boat  which  might  serve  the  enemy 
to  go  to  North  Carolina.  You  know,  my  dear 
general,  that,  with  a  very  trifling  transportation, 

*  The  13th,  Washington,  who  was  then  at  Dobb's  Ferry, 
while  congratulating  M.  de  Lafayette  on  his  success,  announced 
to  him  the  junction  of  his  army  with  that  of  Rochambeau,  and 
that  very  important  information  would  be  carried  to  him  by  a 
confidential  officer.  He  recommended  to  him  to  concentrate 
his  forces,  and  obtain  means  of  corresponding  with  him.  The 
15th,  he  apprised  him  that  the  Count  de  Grasse  intended  quit- 
ting St.  Domingo  on  the  3rd,  with  his  fleet,  to  proceed  to  the 
Chesapeak,  and  prescribed  to  him  to  shut  out  from  Lord  Corn- 
wallis all  retreat  on  North  Carolina.  He  added,  "  You  shall 
hear  further  from  me."  The  30th,  he  no  longer  concealed  his 
intention  of  marching  to  the  south.  But  he  only  announced  on 
the  21st  of  August  that  his  troops  were  actually  on  their  march. 
While  recurring  to  the  necessity  of  inclosing  the  enemy  on 
every  side,  he  ended  by  saying,  "  The  particular  mode  I  shall 
not  at  this  distance  attempt  to  dictate ;  your  own  knowledge  of 
the  country,  from  your  long  continuance  in  it,  and  the  various 
and  extended  movements  you  have  made,  have  given  you  great 
opportunities  for  observation  ;  of  which  I  am  persuaded  your 
military  genius  and  judgment  will  lead  you  to  make  the  best 
improvement." — (Letters  of  Washington,  vol.  viii.) 


1779,  1780,   1781.  425 

they  may  go  by  water  from  Portsmouth  to  Wil- 
mington. The  only  way  to  shut  up  that  passage 
is,  to  have  an  army  before  Portsmouth,  and  possess 
the  heads  of  these  rivers,  a  movement  which,  unless 
I  was  certain  of  a  naval  superiority,  might  prove 
ruinous.  But  should  a  fleet  come  in  Hampton- 
road,  and  should  I  get  some  days'  notice,  our  situa- 
tion would  be  very  agreeable. 


Malvan  Hill,  July  31. 

A  CORRESPONDENT  of  mine,  servant  to  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  writes  on  the  26th  of  July,  at  Portsmouth, 
and  says  his  master,  Tarleton,  and  Simcoe,  are  still 
in  town,  but  expect  to  move.  The  greatest  part  of 
the  army  is  embarked.  My  lord's  baggage  is  yet  in 
town.  His  lordship  is  so  shy  of  his  papers  that 
my  honest  friend  says  he  cannot  get  at  them.  There 
is  a  large  quantity  of  negroes,  but,  it  seems,  no 
vessels  to  take  them  off.  What  garrison  they  leave 
I  do  not  know  :  I  shall  take  care  at  least  to  keep 
them  within  bounds.  .  .  .  Should  a  French  fleet  now 
come  in  Hampton  Road,  the  British  army  would,  I 
think,  be  ours. 

Camp  on  Pamunkey,  August  6. 

THE  embarkation  which  I  thought,  and  do  still 
think,  to  have  been  destined  for  New  York,  was  re- 
ported to  have  sailed  up  the  bay,  and  to  be  bound 
for  Baltimore  ;  in  consequence  of  which  I  wrote  to 
your  excellency,  and  as  I  had  not  indulged  myself 
too  near  Portsmouth,  I  was  able  to  cut  across  to- 
wards Fredericksburg.  But,  instead  of  continuing 
his  voyage  up  the  bay,  my  lord  entered  York  River, 
and  landed  at  York  and  Gloucester.  To  the  former 
vessels  were  added  a  number  of  flat-bottomed  boats. 


426  CORRESPONDENCE, 

Our  movements  have  not  been  precipitate.  We  \sere 
in  time  to  take  our  course  down  Pamunkey  River, 
and  shall  move  to  some  position  where  the  several 
parts  of  the  army  will  unite.  I  have  some  militia 
in  Gloucester  county,  some  about  York.  We  shall 
act  agreeably  to  circumstances,  but  avoid  drawing 
ourselves  into  a  false  movement,  which,  if  cavalry 
had  command  of  the  rivers,  would  give  the  enemy 
the  advantage  of  us.  His  lordship  plays  so  well, 
that  no  blunder  can  be  hoped  from  him  to  recover 
a  bad  step  of  ours. 

York  is  surrounded  by  the  river  and  a  morass  ; 
the  entrance  is  but  narrow7.  There  is,  however,  a 
commanding  hill,  (at  least,  I  am  so  informed,)  which, 
if  occupied  by  the  enemy,  would  much  extend  their 
works.  Gloucester  is  a  neck  of  land  projected  into 
the  river,  and  opposite  to  York.  Their  vessels,  the 
biggest  of  whom  is  a  forty-four,  are  between  the 
two  towns.  Should  a  fleet  come  in  at  this  moment, 
our  affairs  would  take  a  very  happy  turn. 


New  Kent  Mountain,  August  11. 

BE  sure,  my  dear  general,  that  the  pleasure  of  being 
with  you  will  make  me  happy  in  any  command  you 
may  think  proper  to  give  me ;  but  for  the  present 
I  am  of  opinion,  with  you,  I  had  better  remain  in 
Virginia,  the  more  so,  as  Lord  Cornwallis  does  not 
choose  to  leave  us,  and  circumstances  may  happen 
that  will  furnish  me  agreeable  opportunities  in  the 
command  of  the  Virginian  army.  I  have  pretty 
well  understood  you,  my  dear  general,  but  would  be 
happy  in  a  more  minute  detail,  which,  I  am  sen- 
sible, cannot  be  entrusted  to  letters.  Would  not 
Gouvion  be  a  proper  ambassador?  indeed,  at  all 
events,  I  should  be  happy  to  have  him  with  me  ; 


1779,   1780,    1781.  427 

but  I  think  he  would  perfectly  well  answer  your 
purpose ;  a  gentleman  in  your  family  could  with 
difficulty  be  spared.  Should  something  be  ascer- 
tained, Count  Damas  might  come,  under  pretence 
to  serve  with  me  ;  it  is  known  he  is  very  much  my 
friend.  But,  to  return  to  operations  in  Virginia,  I 
will  tell  you,  my  dear  general,  that  Lord  Cornwallis 
is  entrenching  at  York  and  at  Gloucester.  The 
sooner  we  disturb  him,  the  better ;  but  unless  our 
maritime  friends  give  us  help,  we  cannot  much 
venture  below. 


Forks  of  York  River,  August  21. 

THE  greater  part  of  the  enemy  are  at  York,  which 
they  do  not  as  yet  fortify,  but  are  very  busy  upon 
Gloucester  neck,  where  they  have  a  pretty  large 
corps  under  Colonel  Dundas.  They  have  at  York 
a  forty-four  gun  ship  ;  frigates  and  vessels  are  scat- 
tered lower  down.  There  is  still  a  small  garrison 
at  Portsmouth.  Should  they  intend  to  evacuate, 
they  at  least  are  proceeding  with  amazing  slowness. 
From  the  enemy's  preparations,  I  should  infer  that 
they  are  working  for  the  protection  of  one  fleet,  and 
for  a  defence  against  another  ;  that  in  case  they 
hold  Portsmouth,  the  main  body  would  be  at  York, 
and  a  detached  corps  upon  Gloucester  neck  to  pro- 
tect the  water  battery.  Their  fortifications  are  much 
contracted.  From  the  enemy's  caution  and  partial 
movements,  I  should  conclude  their  intelligence  is 
not  very  good,  and  that  they  wish  to  come  at  an 
explanation  of  my  intentions  and  prospects. 

We  have  hitherto  occupied  the  forks  of  York 
River,  thereby  looking  both  ways.  Some  militia 
have  prevented  the  enemy's  parties  from  remaining 
any  time  at  or  near  \Yilliamsburg,  and  false  ac- 


428  CORRESPONDENCE, 

counts  have  given  them  some  alarms.  Another 
body  of  militia,  under  Colonel  Ennis,  has  kept  them 
pretty  close  in  Gloucester  town,  and  foraged  in 
their  vicinity.  Upon  the  receipt  of  your  orders, 
I  wrote  to  the  governor,  that  intelligence  of  some 
plans  of  the  enemy  rendered  it  proper  to  have 
six  hundred  militia  collected  upon  Blackwater.  I 
wrote  to  General  Gregory,  near  Portsmouth,  that  I 
had  an  account  that  the  enemy  intended  to  push  a 
detachment  to  Carolina,  which  would  greatly  defeat 
a  scheme  we  had  there.  I  have  requested  General 
Wayne  to  move  towards  the  southward,  to  he  ready 
to  cross  James  River  at  Westover.  A  battalion  of 
Jight  infantry,  and  our  only  hundred  dragoons,  being 
in  Gloucester  county,  I  call  them  my  vanguard,  and 
will  take  my  quarters  there  for  one  or  two  days, 
while  the  troops  are  filing  off  towards  James  River. 
Our  little  army  will  consequently  assemble  again 
upon  the  waters  of  Chickahonimy ;  and  should 
Jamestown  Island  be  thought  a  good  place  for  a 
junction,  we  shall  be  in  a  situation  to  form  it,  while 
we  render  it  more  difficult  for  the  enemy  to  attempt 
a  journey  to  Carolina.* 


*  After  the  arrival  of  Lord  Cornwallis  at  York,  General  La- 
fayette asked  Colonel  Barber  for  a  faithful  and  an  intelligent 
soldier,  whom  he  could  send  as  a  spy  into  the  English  camp. 
Morgan,  of  the  New  Jersey  line,  was  pointed  out  to  him.  The 
general  sent  for  him,  and  proposed  to  him  the  difficult  task  of 
going  over  to  the  enemy  as  a  deserter,  and  enrolling  himself  in 
their  army.  Morgan  answered,  that  he  was  ready  to  do  every- 
thing for  his  country  and  his  general,  but  that  to  act  the  part 
of  a  spy  was  repugnant  to  all  his  feelings ;  he  did  not  fear  for 
his  life,  but  for  his  name,  which  might  be  blotted  with  an  eternal 
stain.  He  ended,  however,  by  yielding,  but  on  condition,  that 
in  case  of  any  misfortune,  the  general  would  make  the  truth 
known,  and  publish  all  the  particulars  of  the  case  in  the  New 
Jersey  papers.  M.  de  Lafayette  promised  this  should  be  done. 


1779,   1780,   1781.  429 

In  the  present  state  of  affairs,  my  dear  general,  I 
hope  you  will  come  yourself  to  Virginia,  and  that, 
if  the  French  army  moves  this  way,  I  will  have,  at 
least,  the  satisfaction  of  beholding  you  myself  at 
the  head  of  the  combined  armies.  In  two  days  I 
will  write  again  to  your  excellency,  and  keep  you 
particularly  and  constantly  informed,  unless  some- 
thing is  done  the  very  moment  (and  it  will  probably 
be  difficult).  Lord  Cornwallis  must  be  attacked 
with  pretty  great  apparatus.  But  when  a  French 

Morgan  then  proceeded  to  the  English  camp.  His  mission 
was  to  give  advice  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  deceive 
them  as  to  the  projects  and  resources  of  the  Americans.  He 
had  not  been  long  with  the  English,  when  Cornwallis  sent  for 
him,  and  questioned  him,  in  the  presence  of  Tarleton,  upon  the 
means  General  Lafayette  might  have  of  crossing  south  of  James 
River.  Morgan  replied,  according  to  his  private  instructions, 
that  he  had  a  sufficient  number  of  boats,  on  the  first  signal,  to 
cross  the  river,  with  his  whole  army.  "  In  that  case,"  said 
Cornwallis  to  Tarleton,  "  what  I  said  to  you  cannot  be  done ;" 
alluding,  in  all  probability,  to  an  intended  march  upon  North 
Carolina.  After  the  arrival  of  the  French  fleet,  M.  de  Lafayette, 
on  his  return  from  a  reconnoitring  party,  found  in  his  quarters 
six  men  dressed  in  the  English  uniform,  and  a  Hessian  dressed 
in  green :  Morgan  was  amongst  them,  bringing  back  five  de- 
serters and  a  prisoner :  he  no  longer  thought  his  services  as 
a  spy  could  be  of  any  use  to  his  country.  The  next  day,  the 
general  offered  him,  as  a  recompence,  the  rank  of  sergeant. 
Morgan  thanked  him,  but  declined  the  offer,  saying  that  he 
thought  himself  a  good  soldier,  but  was  not  certain  of  being  a 
good  sergeant.  Other  offers  were  also  refused.  "  What  can  I 
then  do  for  you  ?"  inquired  the  general.  "  I  have  only  one 
favour  to  ask,"  replied  Morgan.  "  During  my  absence,  my  gun 
has  been  taken  from  me ;  I  value  it  very  much,  and  I  should 
like  to  have  it  back  again."  Orders  were  given  that  the  gun 
should  be  found  and  restored  to  him :  this  was  the  only  thing 
he  could  be  prevailed  on  to  receive.  Mr.  Sparks,  who  pub- 
lished this  anecdote,  "  says  he  heard  it  related,  fifty  years  after 
it  had  occurred,  by  General  Lafayette,  who  still  expressed  great 
admiration  for  that  soldier's  noble  feelings  and  disinterested 
conduct." — (Washington's  Writings,  vol.  viii.,  p.  152.") 


430  CORRESPONDENCE, 

fleet  takes  possession  of  the  bay  and  rivers,  and  we 
form  a  land  force  superior  to  his,  that  army  must, 
sooner  or  later,  be  forced  to  surrender,  as  we  may 
get  what  reinforcements  we  please. 

Adieu,  my  dear  general ;  I  heartily  thank  you  for 
having  ordered  me  to  remain  in  Virginia  ;  it  is  to 
your  goodness  that  I  am  indebted  for  the  most  beau- 
tiful prospect  which  I  may  ever  behold. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

Camp,  between  the  branches  of  York  River, 
August  24, 1781. 

THE  residence  of  Virginia  is  anything  but  favourable 
to  my  correspondence.  I  do  not  accuse  public 
affairs  of  this  evil ;  and  as  I  find  so  much  time  to 
think  of  my  affection  for  you,  I  could  doubtless 
find  some,  also,  to  assure  you  of  it ;  but  there  are 
no  opportunities  here  of  sending  letters,  and  we  are 
obliged  to  despatch  them  to  Philadelphia  and  expose 
them  to  many  hazards;  these  dangers,  in  addition 
to  those  of  the  sea,  and  the  increased  delay  they 
occasion,  must  necessarily  render  the  arrival  of 
letters  far  more  difficult.  If  you  receive  a  greater 
number  from  the  French  than  from  the  Virginian 
army,  it  would  be  unjust  to  imagine  that  I  have 
been  to  blame. 

Your  self-love  has,  perhaps,  been  gratified  by  the 
part  I  have  been  obliged  to  act:  you  may  have 
hoped  that  I  could  not  be  equally  awkward  on 
every  theatre ;  but  I  should  accuse  you  of  an 
egregious  degree  of  vanity  (for  all  things  being  in 
common  between  us,  there  is  vanity  in  rating  me 
too  highly)  if  you  have  not  trembled  for  the  perils 


1779,  1780,   1781. 

to  which  I  have  been  exposed.  I  am  not  speaking 
of  cannon  balls,  but  of  the  more  dangerous  master- 
strokes with  which  I  was  threatened  by  Lord  Corn- 
wallis.  It  was  not  prudent  in  the  general  to  con- 
fide to  me  such  a  command.  If  I  had  been  unfor- 
tunate, the  public  would  have  called  that  partiality 
an  error  in  his  judgment. 

To  begin,  even  from  the  deluge,  I  must  speak 
to  you  of  that  miserable  Portsmouth  expedition. 
General  Rochambeau  had  intended  sending  a  thou- 
sand Frenchmen  there,  under  the  Baron  de  Vio- 
menil.  You  must  have  heard  that  the  French 
squadron  gained  a  great  deal  of  glory,  whilst  the 
English  attained  their  desired  end.  Admiral 
Arbuthnot  will  since  have  informed  you  that  I  was 
blockaded ;  but,  although  we  were  not  sailors,  that 
blockade  did  not  detain  us  four  hours.  You  will 
have  learnt,  afterwards,  that  General  Phillips  having 
made  some  preparations  at  Portsmouth,  we  marched 
in  all  haste  to  Richmond,  where  we  arrived  nearly 
at  the  same  time  ;  but  I  arrived  first.  They  then 
came  from  New  York  and  Carolina  to  unite  with 
the  Virginian  troops ;  the  whole  was  commanded 
by  the  formidable  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  abandoned 
his  first  conquests  to  fulfil  the  ministerial  plan  by 
the  conquest  of  Virginia.  It  was  not  without  some 
difficulty  that  we  avoided  the  battle  he  wished  for ; 
but,  after  many  marches,  we  became  stronger  than 
we  were  at  the  commencement,  and  we  pretended 
to  be  stronger  than  we  were ;  we  regained  what  we 
had  lost  without  risking  a  battle,  and,  after  two 
trifling  affairs,  the  hostile  army  proceeded  to  Ports- 
mouth, which  it  has  since  evacuated,  and  whose 
fortifications  we  have  destroyed.  That  army  is  now 
in  York  River,  whither  they  repaired  by  water.  If 
the  naval  superiority  which  we  are  so  fully  expecting 


-432  CORRESPONDENCE, 

should  arrive,  I  shall  rejoice  at  the  campaign  closing 
by  the  English  army's  assuming  that  position. 

The  French  and  American  troops  before  New 
York  are  under  the  orders  of  the  generalissimo.  My 
friend  Greene  has  had  great  success  in  Carolina,  and 
that  campaign  has  taken  a  far  better  turn  than  we 
had  any  reason  to  expect  or  hope.  It  may  perhaps 
end  in  a  very  favourable  manner.  It  is  said  that  the 
British  ministry  are  sending  here  the  Governor  of 
Virginia;  I  fancy  they  have  founded  rather  too  many 
hopes  upon  the  success  of  their  army.  The  Penn- 
sylvanians,  who  were  to  have  joined  them,  are  at 
present  here  with  us.  But  for  the  virtue,  zeal,  and 
courage  of  the  regular  troops  who  were  with  me,  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to  have  saved 
myself.  I  cannot  sufficiently  express  my  gratitude 
to  those  with  whom  I  have  undertaken  this  fatiguing 
campaign.  The  militia  have  done  all  they  could. 
1  have  been  well  pleased  with  our  little  army,  and 
only  hope  it  may  have  been  also  pleased  with  me. 

I  must  speak  of  my  health,  which  is  a  monotonous 
subject, — for  I  need  only  repeat  favourable  accounts 
of  my  own  constitution :  the  sun  of  Virginia  has  a 
very  bad  character,  and  I  had  received  many  alarm- 
ing predictions ;  many  persons,  in  truth,  have  had 
fevers ;  but  this  climate  agrees  with  me  as  well  as 
any  other,  and  the  only  effect  fatigue  has  upon  me 
is  to  increase  my  appetite. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  433 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Camp,  between  the  branches  of  York  River, 
August  24th,  1781. 

WHEN  a  person,  sir,  has  Lord  Cornwallis  in  front 
and  is  flying  through  the  sands  of  Virginia,  he  must 
depend  upon  others  to  give  circumstantial  news  of 
America.  Ever  since  the  guidance  of  this  army  has 
been  entrusted  to  me,  I  have  found  myself  five 
hundred  miles  from  any  other  troops,  and  all 
accounts  of  the  war,  of  General  Washington,  and  of 
congress,  are  an  immense  time  in  reaching  me  ;  but 
you  have  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  and  you 
could  not  have  a  better  informer.  There  is  only 
one  point  on  which  I  cannot  depend  on  any  person 
to  speak  for  me, — and  that  is  when  I  am  assuring 
you  of  the  affectionate  and  devoted  attachment  I 
shall  feel  for  you  during  the  remainder  of  my  life. 

To  execute  the  gigantic  project  which  his  court 
has  planned,  Lord  Cornwallis  was  obliged  to  leave 
exposed  both  the  Carolinas.  General  Greene  took 
ample  advantage  of  this  circumstance.  It  is  true 
that  the  hostile  army  bore  on  every  point  upon  us, 
and  all  depended  upon  our  having  the  good  luck  to 
avoid  a  battle :  fortune  served  us  well,  and  after  a 
few  junctions,  our  little  army  regained  all  the  ground 
whose  conquest  had  occasioned  so  many  sacrifices. 
In  the  other  states  we  manoeuvred  rather  than 
fought.  Lord  Cornwallis  has  left  us  Portsmouth, 
from  whence  he  communicated  with  Carolina,  and 
finds  himself  at  present  at  York,  which  would  be  a 
very  advantageous  station  for  us,  if  we  possessed  a 
naval  superiority :  if  that  should  by  chance  arrive, 
our  little  army  would  enjoy  successes  which  would 
amply  compensate  for  this  long  and  fatiguing  cam- 
paign :  I  should  not,  in  that  case,  regret  our 

VOL.  I.  F  F 


434  CORRESPONDENCE, 

last  movements  having  placed  us  in  our  present 
situation. 

I  can  only  speak  to  you  of  myself,  sir,  or  of  the 
English  army,  for  all  other  accounts  will  reach  you 
at  Versailles  almost  as  soon  as  they  do  me  in  this 
remote  corner  of  Virginia.  It  is  reported  that  you 
are  going  to  make  peace,  hut  I  am  not  very  cre- 
dulous on  this  point,  and  I  fancy  that  they  will  at 
least  await  the  end  of  this  campaign. 

Tliis  is  a  large  packet,  sir,  but  I  do  not  fear 
taking  advantage  of  your  kindness,  as  I  well  know 
the  full  extent ;  I  flatter  myself  I  merit  it  as  much 
as  it  is  possible  for  any  person  to  do  so,  by  the  feel- 
ings of  confidence  and  respectful  affection  with 
which  I  remain,  &c. 

I  beg  you  to  present  my  kind  compliments  to  the 
Countess  de  Vergennes,  and  to  your  sons. 


TO  M.  DE  MAUREPAS. 

Cainp,  between  the  branches  of  the  York  River, 

August  24th,  1781. 

WHILST  I  am  thus,  sir,  more  than  ever  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  world,  I  am  not  less  occupied 
with  the  persons  I  love,  and  who  honour  me  with 
their  kindness  and  attention.  I  owe  you  st)  much 
gratitude,  and  feel  so  much  attached  to  you,  that  I 
wish  to  recal  sometimes  to  your  recollection  the 
rebel  commander  of  the  little  Virginian  army.  In- 
terested for  me,  sir,  as  I  know  you  are,  you  would 
have  been  alarmed  by  the  important  part  my  youth 
has  been  called  upon  to  act :  five  hundred  miles 
from  any  other  corps,  and  without  any  resources 
whatever,  I  was  placed  to  oppose  the  projects  of  the 
court  of  St.  James's  and  the  good  fortune  of  Lord 


1779,   1780,   1781.  435 

Cornwallis.  Until  the  present  moment,  we  have 
not  met  with  any  disasters ;  but,  in  a  time  of  war,  no 
person  can  tell  what  events  may  occur  on  the  fol- 
lowing day.  Lord  Cornwallis  pursued  us  without 
succeeding  in  taking  us,  and  after  a  variety  of  move- 
ments, he  is  now  in  the  good  York  harbour ;  who 
knows  whether  his  manoeuvres  may  not  end  by 
making  us  prisoners  of  war  ? 

As  I  do  not  know  what  vessel  may  bear  this  des- 
patch, I  will  neither  dwell  upon  our  projects  nor  our 
hopes ;  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  who  knows 
every  opportunity  for  France,  will  inform  you  of  all 
that  passes  here  ;  for  my  part,  I  am  lost  in  the  sands 
of  Virginia,  living  only  by  my  wits,  and  correspond- 
ing with  Lord  Cornwallis  only.  This  letter,  sir,  is 
merely  intended  to  recal  me  to  your  remembrance, 
and  to  offer  you  the  assurance  of  my  respectful  and 
affectionate  regard. 

Will  you  permit  me,  sir,  to  present  my  respects 
to  the  Countess  de  Maurepas  and  Madame  de  Fla- 
marens  ? 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Holt's  Forge,  1st  Sept.,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — From  the  bottom  of  my  heart 
I  congratulate  you  upon  the  arrival  of  the  French 
fleet.  Some  rumours  had  been  spread,  and  spy  ac- 
counts sent  out,  but  no  certainty  until  the  admirars 

*  Washington  having  finally  adopted  the  project  of  uniting 
the  land  and  sea  forces  against  the  army  of  Cornwallis,  which 
had  so  fortunately  stationed  itself  in  the  position  most  favour- 
able to  a  naval  attack,  it  was  still  important  and  difficult  to  pre- 
vent him  from  reaching  Carolina,  and  thus  ruining  the  campaign 
of  the  allied  powers.  It  was  to  attain  this  end,  that  Lafayette 

FF2 


436  CORRESPONDENCE, 

despatches  came  to  hand.  Inclosed  I  send  you  his 
letter,  and  that  of  M.  de  St.  Simon,  both  of  whom 
I  request  you  will  have  translated  by  Tilghman  or 
Gouvion  alone,  as  there  are  parts  of  them  personal, 
which  I  do  not  choose  to  shew  to  others.  Thanks 
to  you,  my  dear  general,  I  am  in  a  very  charming 
situation,  and  find  myself  at  the  head  of  a  beautiful 
body  of  troops  ;  but  am  not  so  hasty  as  the  Count 
de  Grasse,  and  think  that,  having  so  sure  a  game 
to  play,  it  would  be  madness,  by  the  risk  of  an  at- 
tack, to  give  anything  to  chance. 

It  appears  Count  de  Grasse  is  in  a  great  hurry  to 
return;  he  makes  it  a  point  to  put  upon  my 'ex- 
pressions such  constructions  as  may  favour  his  plan. 
They  have  been  pleased  to  adopt  my  ideas,  as  to  the 
sending  of  vessels  into  James  River,  and  forming  a 

had  despatched  troops  to  the  south  of  James  River,  under  pre- 
tence of  dislodging  the  English  from  Portsmouth ;  this  move- 
ment had  also  the  good  effect  of  uniting  to  the  corps  of  the 
army  the  troops  and  artillery  who  could  escape  by  Albemarle 
Sound  on  the  arrival  of  the  Count  de  Grasse.  With  the  same 
view,  he  detained  troops  on  the  south  of  James  River,  on  pre- 
tence of  sending  General  Wayne  and  his  Pennsylvanians  to  the 
southern  army  to  reinforce  General  Greene.  No  person  was  in 
the  secret,  and  the  enemy  could  not,  therefore,  be  undeceived. 
It  was  at  that  period  that  he  sent  them  the  pretended  deserter, 
Morgan.  In  short,  after  having  manoeuvred  for  several  months 
to  lead  his  opponent  into  the  spot  that  would  best  allow  him  to 
take  advantage  of  a  naval  co-operation,  he  manoeuvred  at  last 
so  as  to  prevent  his  enemy  from  withdrawing  when  he  became 
conscious  of  his  danger.  His  precautions  in  this  respect  were 
more  necessary  from  Lord  Cornwallis  knowing  that  a  large 
French  fleet  was  expected  in  North  America.  The  moment 
the  Count  de  Grasse  arrived,  Lafayette  marched  on  rapidly  to 
Williamsburg,  and  effected  a  junction  with  a  corps  of  three 
thousand  men  belonging  to  the  Marquis  de  St.  Simon.  As 
soon  as  he  landed  at  Jamestown,  he  crossed  the  river,  united 
Wayne's  corps  to  his  own,  and  assembled,  on  the  other  side  of 
York  River*  opposite  to  Gloucester,  a  corps  of  militia.  The 


1779,  1780,  1781.  437 

junction  at  Jamestown.  I  wish  they  may  also 
force  the  passage  at  York,  because  then  his  lordship 
has  no  possibility  of  escape. 

The  delay  of  Count  de  Grasse's  arrival,  the 
movement  of  the  grand  army,  and  the  alarm  there 
was  at  York,  have  forced  me,  for  greater  security, 
to  send  a  part  of  the  troops  to  the  south  side  of 
James  River.  To-morrow  and  the  day  after  will 
be  employed  in  making  dispositions  for  covering  a 
landing,  which  will  be  done  with  continentals  dis- 
cumbered  of  baggage  ;  and  on  the  5th,  agreeable  to 
the  count's  desire,  a  junction  will  be  made  of  our 
troops.  I  shall  then  propose  to  the  French  general 
the  taking  of  a  safe  position,  within  ten  or  twelve 
miles  of  York  ;  such  a  one  as  cannot  be  forced 
without  a  much  greater  loss  than  we  could  suffer. 

English  array  thus  found  itself  enclosed  on  every  side,  and  no 
possible  means  of  safety  were  left  to  Lord  Cornwallis  but  by 
his  undertaking  a  very  perilous  enterprise.  He  reconnoitred, 
however,  the  position  of  Williamsburg,  with  the  intention  of 
attacking  it.  It  was  a  well  chosen  station  :  two  creeks,  or  small 
rivers,  throwing  themselves,  one  into  James,  the  other  into  York 
River,  almost  enclosed  the  peninsula  on  that  point ;  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  force  two  well  defended  passages ;  two  houses  and 
two  public  buildings  of  Williamsburg,  both  of  stone,  were  well 
placed  to  defend  the  front.  There  were  five  thousand  French 
and  American  troops,  a  large  corps  of  militia,  and  a  well  served 
campaign  artillery.  Lord  Cornwallis  thought  he  ought  not  to 
hazard  an  attack.  He  might  have  crossed  over  to  Gloucester, 
or  have  ascended  York  River,  the  Count  de  Grasse  having  neg- 
lected tj  place  vessels  above  that  point,  but  he  must  have 
abandoned,  in  that  case,  his  artillery,  magazines,  and  invalids, 
and  measures  had  been  taken  to  cut  off  his  road  in  several 
places;  he  determined,  therefore,  to  await  the  attack.  He 
might  have  had,  in  truth,  the  chance  of  a  combat,  if  Lafayette 
had  yielded  to  some  tempting  solicitations.  The  Count  de 
Grasse  was  in  a  hurry  to  return ;  the  idea  of  waiting  for  the 
northern  troops  and  generals  was  intolerable  to  him ;  he  en- 
treated Lafayette  to  attack  the  English  army,  with  the  American 


438  CORRESPONDENCE, 

And,  unless  matters  are  very  different  from  what  I 
think  they  are,  my  opinion  is,  that  we  ought  to  be 
contented  with  preventing  the  enemy's  forages,  and 
fatiguing  them  by  alarming  their  picquets  with 
militia,  without  committing  our  regulars.  What- 
ever readiness  the  Marquis  de  St.  Simon  has  been 
pleased  to  express  to  Colonel  Gimat,  respecting 
his  being  under  me,  I  shall  do  nothing  without 
paying  that  deference  which  is  due  to  age,  talents, 
and  experience  ;  but  would  rather  incline  to  the 
cautious  line  of  conduct  I  have  of  late  adopted. 
General  Portail  must  be  now  with  Count  de  Grasse. 
He  knows  your  intentions,  and  our  course  will  be 
consulted  in  our  movements. 

Lord  Cornwallis  has  still  one  way  to  escape  ;  he 
may  land  at  West  Point,  and  cross  James  River, 


and  French  troops  that  were  under  his  command,  offering,  for 
that  purpose,  not  only  the  detachments  which  formed  the  garri- 
sons of  the  ships,  but  also  as  many  sailors  as  he  should  demand. 
The  Marquis  de  St.  Simon,  who  although  subordinate  to  La- 
fayette from  the  date  of  his  commission,  was  much  his  senior  in 
point  of  age  and  service,  joined  earnestly  in  the  admiral's  re- 
quest. He  represented  that  Lord  Cornwallis's  works  were  not 
yet  comp  eted,  and  that  an  attack  of  superior  forces  would  soon, 
in  all  probability,  take  Yorktown,  and  afterwards  Gloucester. 
The  temptation  was  great  for  the  young  general  of  the  com- 
bined army,  who  was  scarcely  four-and-twenty  years  of  age ; 
he  had  an  unanswerable  pretence  for  taking  such  a  step  in  the 
declaration  made  by  M.  de  Grasse,  that  he  could  not  wait  for  the 
northern  generals  and  forces  ;  but  this  attack,  which,  if  success- 
ful, would  have  been  so  brilliant,  must  necessarily  have  cost  a 
great  deal  of  blood.  Lafayette  would  not  sacrifice  to  his  per- 
eonala  mbition  the  sold  ierswho  had  been  confided  to  him ;  and, 
refusing  the  request  of  the  Count  de  Grasse,  he  onlv  endea- 
voured to  persuade  him  to  await  the  arrival  of  General  Wash- 
ington, accompanied  by  the  Generals  Rochambeau  and  Lin- 
coln, seniors  of  Lafayette  ;  by  this  means  the  reduction  of  the 
army  of  Cornwallis  became  a  secure  and  by  no  means  costly 
operation.  (Note  extracted  from  Manuscript,  No.  2.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.  439 

some  miles  below  Point  of  Fork;  but  I  thought  this 
part  was  the  most  important,  as  the  other  route  is 
big  with  obstacles.  However,  to  prevent  even  a 
possibility,  I  would  wish  some  ships  were  above 
York. 

The  governor*  was  with  me  when  the  letters 
came  ;  he  jumped  upon  a  horse,  and  posted  off  to 
his  council.  I  gave  him  a  memorandum,  demand- 
ing provisions  of  every  kind  for  the  fleet  and  the 
combined  army.  We  may  depend  upon  a  quantity 
of  cattle,  but  flour  ought  to  be  sent  from  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania.  Chevalier  d'Annemours,  the 
French  consul,  is  here,  and  will  take  a  method  to 
have  his  countrymen  supplied  without  starving  us. 

Upon  a  particular  inquiry  of  the  country,  and 
our  circumstances,  I  hope  you  will  find  we  have 
taken  the  best  precautions  to  lessen  his  lordship's 
chances  to  escape  ;  he  has  a  few  left,  but  so  very 
precarious,  that  I  hardly  believe  he  will  make  the 
attempt ;  if  he  does,  he  must  give  up  ships,  artillery, 
baggage,  part  of  the  horses,  all  the  negroes  ;  he  must 
be  certain  to  lose  the  third  of  his  army,  and  run  the 
greatest  risk  to  lose  the  whole,  without  gaining  that 
glory  which  he  may  derive  from  a  brilliant  defence. 

Adieu,  my  dear  general,  the  agreeable  situation  I 
am  in  is  owing  to  your  friendship,  and  is,  for  that 
reason,  the  dearer  to  your  respectful  servant  and 
friend. 

*  The  governor  of  Virginia?  Jefferson. 


440  CORRESPONDENCE, 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Williamsburg,  September  8, 1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  had  the  honour  to  write 
you  lately,  giving  an  account  of  everything  that 
came  within  my  knowledge.  I  was  every  hour  ex- 
pecting 1  might  be  more  particular ;  but  if  you  knew 
how  slowly  things  go  on  in  this  country;  still  I 
have  done  the  best  in  my  power ;  I  have  written 
and  received  twenty  letters  a  day  from  government 
and  from  every  department.  The  governor  does 
what  he  can  :  the  wheels  of  his  government  are 
so  very  rusty  that  no  governor  whatever  will  be 
able  to  set  them  free  again.  Time  will  prove 
that  Jefferson  has  been  too  severely  charged.  The 
French  troops,  my  dear  general,  have  landed  with 
amazing  celerity ;  they  have  already  been  wanting 
flour,  meat  and  salt,  not  so  much,  however,  as  to 
be  one  day  without.  I  have  been  night  and  day 
the  quarter-master  collector,  and  have  drawn  my- 
self into  a  violent  head-ache  and  fever,  which  will 
go  off  with  three  hours'  sleep,  the  want  of  which 
has  occasioned  it.  This,  my  dear  general,  will 
apologize  to  you  for  not  writing  with  my  own 
hand.  The  French  army  is  composed  of  the  most 
excellent  regiments  :  they  have  with  them  a  corps 
of  hussars,  which  may  be  of  immediate  use.  The 
general  and  all  the  officers  have  cheerfully  lived  in 
the  same  way  as  our  poorly  provided  American 
detachment.  I  think  a  letter  from  you  on  the  sub- 
ject will  have  a  very  good  effect.  Last  night  by 
leaving  our  own  baggage,  and  accepting  of  our 
officers'  horses,  we  have  been  able  to  move  to  a 
position  near  Williamsburg :  it  is  covered  along  the 


1779,  1780,  1781.  441 

front  with  ravines ;  the  right  flank  is  covered  by 
a  mill-pond,  on  the  road  to  Jamestown  ;  the  left  by 
Queen's  Creek,  small  rivulets,  and  marshes.  We 
have  militia  still  in  front  of  our  right  and  left,  and 
a  good  look  out  on  the  river.  Our  provisions  may 
come  to  the  capital  landing.  Williamsburg  and  its 
strong  buildings  are  in  our  front.  I  have  upon  the 
lines  General  Muhlenberg  with  one  thousand  men, 
four  hundred  of  whom  are  Virginian  regulars,  and 
one  hundred  dragoons.  In  borrowing  White's 
unequipped  horses  we  may  add  one  hundred  hus- 
sars. There  is  a  line  of  armed  ships  along  James 
River,  and  a  small  reserve  of  militia,  which  may  in- 
crease every  day :  there  are  in  Gloucester  county 
eight  hundred  militia  driving  off  stock.  I  had  re- 
commended, with  proper  delicacy,  to  Count  de 
Grasse  to  send  some  naval  forces  up  York  River;  the 
French  armed  vessels  in  Pamunkey  are  come  down 
to  West  Point.  No  movement  of  Count  de  Grasse 
has  as  yet  taken  place,  except  some  ships  below 
York.  Your  excellency's  letter  to  him  has  been 
duly  forwarded  ;  we  are  under  infinite  obligations 
to  the  officers  and  the  men  for  their  zeal. 

I  entered  into  these  particular  accounts,  my  dear 
general,  in  order  to  show  you  that  propriety,  and  not 
the  desire  to  advance,  has  dictated  our  measures. 
We  will  try,  if  not  dangerous,  upon  a  large  scale,  to 
form  a  good  idea  of  the  works ;  but,  unless  I  am 
greatly  deceived,  there  will  be  madness  in  attacking 
them  now  with  our  force.  Marquis  de  St.  Simon, 
Count  de  Grasse,  and  General  du  Portail,  agree  with 
me  in  opinion ;  but  should  Lord  Cornwallis  come 
out  against  such  a  position  as  we  have,  everybody 
thinks  that  he  cannot  but  repent  of  it ;  and  should 
he  beat  us,  he  must  soon  prepare  for  another 
battle. 


442  CORRESPONDENCE, 

Now,  my  dear  general,  I  am  going  to  speak  to 
you  of  the  fortifications  at  York.  Lord  Cornwallis 
is  working  day  and  night,  and  will  soon  work  him- 
self into  a  respectable  situation  :  he  has  taken 
ashore  the  greater  part  of  his  sailors  ;  he  is  picking 
up  whatever  provisions  he  can  get.  I  am  told  he 
has  ordered  the  inhabitants  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
town  to  come  in,  and  should  think  they  may  do  him 
much  good.  Our  present  position  will  render  him 
cautious,  and  I  think  it  a  great  point.  No  news 
as  yet  in  this  camp  of  the  fleet  of  M.  le  Comte  de 
Barras.* 

I  will  now  answer  you  that  part  of  your  letter  re- 
specting provisions  for  the  troops  under  your  im- 
mediate command. 

With  respect  to  a  proper  place  for  the  debarkation 
of  your  troops,  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  Marquis  de 
St.  Simon,  and  mine,  that  it  must  be  in  James  River, 
but  we  have  not  had  an  opportunity  yet  of  fixing 
on  the  best  spot :  it  appears,  however,  that  it  must 
be  at  or  near  Williamsburg  or  Jamestown. 

With  the  most  affectionate  regard  and  esteem,  I 
am;  dear  general,  &c. 

*  Marshall  speaks  of  the  departure  of  the  Count  de  Barras 
for  the  Chesapeak,  and  of  his  arrival  with  the  artillery  of  the  siege ; 
that  the  admiral  had  received  a  letter  from  the  minister  of  the 
marine,  the  Marshal  de  Castries,  who,  informing  him  of  the  orders 
given  to  M.  de  Grasse  to  proceed  to  the  coasts  of  the  United 
States,  left  him  free  to  make  a  cruise  on  the  banks  of  New- 
foundland, not  wishing  to  oblige  him  to  serve  under  his  junior, 
to  whom  the  minister  had  entrusted  the  command.  But  M.  de 
Barras  nobly  determined  to  convey  himself  and  the  artillery  to 
Rhode  Island,  and  to  range  himself,  with  all  his  vessels,  undei 
the  command  of  an  admiral  less  ancient  than  himself.— Manu- 
script, No.  2.) 


1779,  1780,  1781.        443 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  before  York,  October  16,  1781. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  excellency  having  per- 
sonally seen  our  dispositions,  I  shall  only  give  an 
account  of  what  passed  in  the  execution. 

Colonel  Gimat's  battalion  led  the  van,  and  was 
followed  by  that  of  Colonel  Hamilton's,  who  com- 
manded the  whole  advanced  corps;  at  the  same  time, 
a  party  of  eighty  men,  under  Colonel  Laurens, 
turned  the  redoubt.  I  beg  leave  to  refer  your 
excellency  to  the  report  I  have  received  from 
Colonel  Hamilton,  whose  well  known  talents  and 
gallantry  were  on  this  occasion  most  conspicuous 
and  serviceable.  Our  obligations  to  him,  to  Colonel 
Gimat,  to  Colonel  Laurens,  and  to  each  and  all  the 
officers  and  men,  are  above  expression.  Not  one 
gun  was  fired,  and  the  ardour  of  the  troops  did  not 
give  time  for  the  sappers  to  derange  them,  and, 
owing  to  the  conduct  of  the  commanders  and  the 
bravery  of  the  men,  the  redoubt  was  stormed  with 
uncommon  rapidity. 

Colonel  Barber's  battalion,  which  was  the  first  in 
the  supporting  column,  being  detached  to  the  aid  of 
the  advance,  arrived  at  the  moment  they  were  get- 
ting over  the  works,  and  executed  their  orders  with 
the  utmost  alacrity.  The  colonel  was  slightly 
wounded :  the  rest  of  the  column  under  General 
Muhlenberg  and  Hazen  advanced  with  admirable 

*  It  was  the  13th  of  September  that  General  Washington  had 
operated  his  junction  with  General  Lafayette,  and  the  28th  the 
place  of  York  was  invaded.  The  assault  was  given  on  the  15th 
of  October. 


444  CORRESPONDENCE, 

firmness  and  discipline.  Colonel  Vose's  battalion  dis- 
played to  the  left,  a  part  of  the  division  successively 
dressing  by  him,  whilst  a  second  line  was  forming 
columns  in  the  rear.  It  adds  greatly  to  the  charac- 
ter of  the  troops  that,  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy, 
they  displayed  and  took  their  rank  with  perfect 
silence  and  order.  Give  me  leave  particularly  to 
mention  Major  Barber,  division  inspector,  who  dis- 
tinguished himself,  and  received  a  wound  by  a  can- 
non ball. 

In  making  arrangements  for  the  support  of 
the  works  we  had  reduced,  I  was  happy  to  find 
General  Wayne  and  the  Pennsylvanians  so  situated 
as  to  have  given  us,  in  case  of  need,  the  most  effec- 
tual support. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  the  most  perfect 
respect,  &c. 


TO  M.  DE  MAUREPAS. 

Camp,  near  York,  October  20th,  1781. 

THE  play,  sir,  is  over — and  the  fifth  act  has  just 
been  closed  ;  I  was  in  a  somewhat  awkward  situa- 
tion during  the  first  acts  ;  my  heart  experienced 
great  delight  at  the  final  one — and  I  do  not  feel  less 
pleasure  in  congratulating  you,  at  this  moment, 
upon  the  fortunate  issue  of  our  campaign.  I  need 
not  describe  the  particulars  of  it,  sir,  because  Lauzun 
will  give  them  to  you  in  person  ;  and  I  only  wish  him 
the  same  degree  of  good  luck  in  crossing  the  ocean 
that  he  had  in  passing  through  a  corps  of  Tarleton's 
legion. 

M.  de  Rochambeau  will  give  you  a  full  account 
of  the  army  he  commands ;  but  if  the  honour  of 
having  commanded  for  some  time  the  division  of 


1779,   1780,   1781.  445 

M.  de  St.  Simon  gives  me  any  right  to  speak  of 
my  obligations  to  that  general  and  his  troops,  that 
right  would  be  much  valued  by  me. 

Will  you  have  the  kindness,  sir,  to  present  my 
respectful  compliments  to  the  Countess  de  Maurepas, 
and  Madame  de  Flamarens,  and  to  accept,  yourself, 
the  sincere  assurance  of  my  affection,  gratitude,  and 
respect. 


TO  M.  DE  VERGENNES. 

Camp,  near  York,  October  20th,  1781. 

ALLOW  me,  sir,  to  offer  you  my  congratulations 
upon  the  good  leaf  that  has  been  turned  over  in  our 
political  tablets.  M.  Laurens  will  give  all  parti- 
culars ;  I  rejoice  that  your  Virginian  campaign 
should  close  so  well,  and  my  respect  for  the  talents 
of  Lord  Cornwallis  renders  his  capture  still  more 
valuable  to  me.  After  this  commencing  stroke, 
what  English  general  will  ever  think  of  conquering 
America  ?  Their  southern  manoeuvres  have  not 
ended  more  fortunately  than  their  northern  ones, 
and  the  affair  of  General  Burgoyne  has  been  again 
renewed. 

Adieu,  sir ;  I  have  so  short  a  time  for  writing, 
that  I  can  only  add  at  present  the  assurance  of  the 
respect  and  sincere  attachment  of,  &c. 


TO  MADAME  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

On  board  La  faille  de  Paris,  in  Chesapeak  Bay, 
Oct.  22,  1781. 

THIS  is  the  last  moment,  my  dearest  love,  allowed 
me  for  writing  to  you ;  M.  de  Lauzun  is  going  to 


446  CORRESPONDENCE, 

join  the  frigate  and  return  to  Europe  ;  some  business 
I  had  to  settle  with  the  admiral  affords  me  the  plea- 
sure of  thus  giving  you  some  news  of  me  two  days 
later  ;  what  relates  to  public  affairs  will  be  de- 
tailed to  you  by  M.  de  Lauzun.  The  close  of  this 
campaign  is  truly  brilliant  for  the  allied  troops  ; 
our  movements  have  been  all  remarkably  well  com- 
bined, and  I  must,  indeed,  be  difficult  to  please,  if  I 
were  not  completely  satisfied  with  the  close  of  my 
Virginian  campaign.  You  must  have  learnt  all  the 
trouble  that  Lord  Cornwallis's  talents  and  superior 
forces  gave  me, — the  good  luck  we  had  in  regaining 
the  ground  we  had  lost, — and,  finally,  our  drawing 
Lord  Cornwallis  into  the  very  position  that  was 
necessary  to  enable  us  to  capture  him  :  at  that  pre- 
cise moment  all  the  troops  rushed  upon  him.  I 
count  as  amongst  the  happiest  epochs  of  my  life, 
that  in  which  the  division  of  M.  de  St.  Simon  re- 
mained united  to  my  army,  and  that  in  which  I 
alternately  commanded  the  three  field-marshals, 
with  the  troops  under  their  orders.  I  pity  Lord 
Cornwallis,  for  whom  I  have  the  highest  respect ;  he 
is  kind  enough  to  express  some  esteem  for  me,  and 
after  having  allowed  myself  the  pleasure,  in  the 
capitulation,  of  repaying  the  incivilities  of  Charles - 
town,  I  do  not  intend  to  carry  my  vengeance  any 
farther. 

My  health  is  extremly  good,  and  I  met  with  no 
accident  during  our  encounter. 

Present  my  most  affectionate  respects  to  Madame 
d'Ayen,  and  the  Marshal  de  Noailles  ;  a  thousand 
kind  regards  to  all  my  sisters,  the  Abbe*  Fayon,  and 
M.  de  Margelay.  I  embrace  ten  thousand  times  our 
Gloved  children.  Adieu,  adieu. 


1779,  1780,  1781.  447 


THE  MARQUIS  DE  SEGUR  TO  M.  DE  LAFAYETTE. 

December  5th,  1781. 

THE  king,  sir,  having  been  informed  of  the  military 
talents  of  which  you  have  given  such  multiplied 
proofs  whilst  commanding  the  different  corps  of  the 
army  that  has  been  confided  to  you  in  the  United 
States ;  of  the  wisdom  and  prudence  that  have 
guided  you  in  the  various  decisions  you  were  called 
upon  to  take  respecting  the  interests  of  the  United 
States  ;  and  of  the  great  confidence  with  which  you 
have  inspired  General  Washington  ;  his  Majesty  has 
desired  me  to  tell  you,  that  the  praises  you  have  so 
justly  merited  on  such  various  occasions  have  fixed 
his  attention,  and  that  your  conduct  and  successes 
have  made  him,  sir,  conceive  the  most  favourable  opi- 
nion of  you ;  such  a  one  as  you  might  yourself  desire, 
and  from  which  you  may  depend  on  his  future  kind- 
ness. His  Majesty,  in  order  to  give  you  a  very  flat- 
tering and  peculiar  mark  of  this  intention,  renews  to 
you  the  rank  of  field-marshal  in  his  armies,  which 
you  are  to  enjoy  as  soon  as  the  American  war  shall 
be  terminated,  at  which  period  you  will  quit  the  ser- 
vice of  the  United  States  to  re-enter  that  of  his 
Majesty.  In  virtue  of  this  decision,  sir,  you  may 
be  considered  as  field-marshal  from  the  date  of  the 
signature  of  the  capitulation,  after  the  siege  of  York- 
town,  by  General  Cornwallis,  the  19th  October,  of 
tnis  year,  on  account  of  your  fulfilling  at  that  time 
the  functions  belonging  to  that  rank  in  tue  troops 
of  the  United  States  of  America. 

His  Majesty  is  disposing  at  this  moment  of  his 
legiment  of  dragoons,  of  which  he  had  kept  for 
you  the  command  until  the  present  time. 

I  beg  you  to  be  convinced  of  the  pleasure  I  ex 


448  CORRESPONDENCE, 

perience  in  this  act  of  his  Majesty's  justice,  and  01 
the  wish,  I  feel  to  prove  to  you,  on  every  occasion, 
the  sincere  attachment  with  which  I  have  the 
honour  of  being,  &c. 

SEGUR. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Alliance,  off  Boston,  December  21st,  1781. 
MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  am  sorry  to  think  we  are 
not  yet  gone,  and  there  still  remain  some  doubts  of 
our  going  to-morrow.  This  delay  I  lament  not  so 
much  on  private  accounts  as  I  do  on  the  account 
of  our  next  campaign,  in  the  planning  of  which 
your  opinion,  as  I  shall  deliver  it,  must  be  of  the 
greatest  use  to  the  common  cause.  As  to  the 
department  of  foreign  affairs,  I  shall  be  happy  to 
justify  the  confidence  of  the  congress,  by  giving  my 
opinion  to  the  best  of  my  power,  whenever  it  is 
asked  for ;  but  the  affair  of  finances  will,  I  fear,  be 
a  difficult  point  for  the  American  minister,  in  which, 
however,  I  shall  be  happy  to  help  him  with  my 
utmost  exertions.  The  moment  I  arrive  in  France, 
I  will  write  to  you  minutely  how  things  stand,  and 
give  you  the  best  accounts  in  my  power. 

I  have  received  every  mark  of  affection  in  Boston, 
and  am  much  attached  to  this  town,  to  which  I  owe 
so  many  obligations ;  but,  from  public  considera- 
tions, I  have  been  impatient  to  leave  it  and  go  on 
board  the  frigate,  where  I  receive  all  possible  civili- 
ties, but  where  I  had  rather  be  under  sail  than  at 
anchor. 

I  beg  your  pardon,  my  dear  general,  for  giving 
you  so  much  trouble  in  reading  my  scrawls  ;  but  we 


1779,  1780,  1781.  449 

are  going  to  sail,  and  my  last  adieu,  I  must  dedicate 
to  my  beloved  general.  Adieu,  my  dear  general :  1 
know  your  heart  so  well,  that  I  am  sure  that  no  dis- 
tance can  alter  your  attachment  to  me.  With  the 
same  candour,  I  assure  you  that  my  love,  my  respect, 
my  gratitude  for  you,  are  above  expression ;  that, 
at  the  moment  of  leaving  you,  I  felt  more  than  ever 
the  strength  of  those  friendly  ties  that  for  ever  bind 
me  to  you,  and  that  I  anticipate  the  pleasure,  the 
most  wished  for  pleasure,  to  be  again  with  you,  and, 
by  my  zeal  and  services,  to  gratify  the  feelings  of 
my  respect  and  affection.  Will  you  be  pleased  to 
present  my  compliments  and  respects  to  Mrs. 
Washington,  and  to  remember  me  to  General  Knox 
and  General  Lincoln. 

Adieu,   my   dear   general,   your  respectful   and 
tender  friend,  &c. 


VOL.    I,  G    G 


ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

INSERTED    ONLY   IN    THE 

AMERICAN    EDITION. 


TO  HIS  EXCELLENCY  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

At  Robins's  Tavern,  half  past  four,  26  June,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  received  your  excellency's  favor* 
notifying  your  arrival  at  Cramberry,  and  am  glad  to  have 
anticipated  your  orders  in  not  going  too  far.  I  have  felt 
the  unhappy  effects  of  the  want  of  provisions,  for  I  dare  say 
if  we  had  not  been  stopped  by  it,  as  we  were  already  within 
three  miles  of  the  enemy's  rear,  we  would  very  easily  have 
overtaken  them  and  fought  with  advantage. 

I  have  consulted  the  general  officers  of  the  detachment, 
and  the  general  opinion  seems  to  be  that  I  should  march 
in  the  night  near  them,  so  as  to  attack  the  rear  guard 
when  on  the  march.  We  have  also  spoken  of  a  night  at- 
tack. The  latter  seems  dangerous.  The  former  will 
perhaps  give  them  time  of  escaping,  as  it  is  impossible  f 
would  move  quite  close  by  them,  at  least  nearer  than  three 
miles. — Col.  Morgan  is  towards  the  right  flank,  Gen. 
Dickinson  is  a  little  upon  the  left,  Gens.  Scott  and  Maxwel 
have  insisted  upon  going  further  down  than  we  are  now  • 
for  Wayne's  and  Jackson's  corps  they  have  not  had  pro- 

*The  letter  referred  to  does  not  appear  in  Sparks'  "Writings  of W??h- 
ington ;"  but  there  is  a  letter  of  instructions  in  vol.  5,  p.  417  of  that  work 
addressed  to  Gen.  Lafayette  by  Gen.  Washington,  dated  the  25th  June 
1770,  in  relation  to  the  service  upon  which  the  former  had  been  del  ched ; 
some  account  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  preceding  "  Memoirs,"  anie  p. 
p.  51,  52.  See  also,  the  letters  of  Gen.  Washington  to  Gens.  Lee  aiitl 
Lafayette,  in  Sparks'  "  Writings  &c."  p.  p.  410,  419. 


452  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

visions  at  all  but  will  be  able  to  marcb  in  the  night.  I  beg 
you  would  let  me  know  your  intention  and  your  opinion  of 
the  matter,  my  motions  depend  much  upon  what  the  army 
will  do  for  countenancing  them.  I  beg  you  would  be  very 
particular  upon  what  you  think  proper  to  be  done  and 
what  your  excellency  will  do.  I  wish  indeed  you  would 
anticipate  the  different  cases  which  may  happen  according 
to  the  place  where  the  enemy  lays. — Gen.  Wayne,  Col. 
Hamilton  and  several  officers  have  gone  to  reconnoitre  it. 
I  fancy  they  will  lay  about  seven  or  eight  miles  from  here. 
Your  excellency  knows  that  by  the  direct  road  you  are 
only  three  miles  further  from  Monmouth  than  we  are  in 
this  place. 

The  enemy  is  said  to  march  since  this  morning  with  a 
great  confusion  and  fright.  Some  prisoners  have  been 
made,  and  deserters  come  amazingly  fast.  I  believe  an 
happy  blow  would  have  the  happiest  effect,  and  I  always 
regret  the  time  we  have  lost  by  want  of  provisions. 

I  beg  you  would  answer  to  me  immediately,  and  with 
the  highest  respect  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

At  Cranbarry,  5  o'clock,  June,  1778, 

DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  received  your  orders  for  march- 
ing as  just  as  I  could  and  I  have  marched  without  waiting 
for  the  provisions  tho'  we  want  them  extremely.  Gen. 
Forman  and  Col.  Hamilton  sat  out  last  night  to  meet  the 
other  troops  and  we  shall  be  together  at  Hidestown  or 
somewhat  lower.  Gen.  Forman  is  firmly  of  opinion  that 
we  may  overtake  the  enemy, — for  my  part  I  am  not  so 
quiet  upon  the  subject  as  he  is,  but  his  sentiment  is  of 
great  weight  on  account  of  his  knowledge  of  the  country. 
It  is  highly  pleasant  to  me  to  be  followed  and  countenanced 
by  the  army  that  if  we  stop  the  enemy  and  meet  with 

*  In  answer  to  the  letter  of  instructions  mentioned  in  the  preceding  note. 


ADDITIONAL     CORRESPONDENCE.  453 

some  advantage  they  may  push  it  with  vigor.  I  have  no 
doubt  but  if  we  overtake  them  we  possess  a  very  happy 
chance.  However,  I  would  not  have  the  army  quite  so 
near  as  not  to  be  quite  master  of  its  motions,  but  a  very 
little  distance  may  do  it. — I  have  heard  nothing  of  the 
enemy  this  morning.  An  officer  of  militia  says,  that  after 
they  had  pitched  their  tents  yesterday  night,  they  struck 
them  again.  But  I  am  inclined  to  believe  they  did  not  go 
farther,  and  that  the  man  who  brought  the  intelligence  was 
mistaken.  I  expect  some  at  Hidestown  which  1  will  im- 
mediately forward  to  you.  I  beg  when  your  excellency 
will  write  to  me,  that  you  could  let  me  know  the  place 
you  have  reached,  that  I  might  govern  myself  accordingly. 
With  the  highest  respect  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 


TO   GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Half  past  ten,  28th  June,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  orders  have  reached  me  so  late 
and  found  me  in  such  a  situation  that  it  will  be  impossible 
to  follow  them  as  soon  as  I  could  wish.  It  is  not  on  ac- 
count of  any  other  motive  than  the  impossibility  of  moving 
the  troops  and  making  such  a  march  immediately,  for  in 
receiving  your  letter  I  have  given  up  the  project  of  attack- 
ing the  enemy,  and  I  only  wish  to  join  Gen.  Lee. — I  was 
even  going  to  set  out,  but  all  the  Brigadiers,  Officers,  &c.  have 
represented  that  there  was  a  material  impossibility  of  mo- 
ving troops  in  the  situation  where  ours  find  themselves — I 
do  not  believe  Gen.  Lee  is  to  make  any  attack  to  morrow, 
for  then  I  would  have  been  directed  to  fall  immediately 
upon  them,  without  making  1 1  miles  entirely  out  of  the 
way.  I  am  here  as  near  as  I  will  be  at  English  Town. 
To-morrow  at  two  o'clock  I  will  set  off  for  that  place. 
I  do  not  know  if  Morgan's  corps,  the  militia,  &c.,  must 

*  In  answer  probably  to  Gen.  Washington's  letter  of  the  26th  June. 
Sparks'  Washington,  vol.  5,  p.  419. 


454  ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

be  brought  along  witb  tbe  other  part  of  the  detachment. 
Gen.  Forman  who  don't  approve  much  of  that  motion, 
says,  that  our  right  flank  must  be  secured,  unless  to  incur 
the  most  fatal  consequences  for  the  whole  army. 

I   beg  your  pardon  sir,  if  my  letter  is  so  badly  written, 
but  I  want  to  send  it  soon  and  to  rest  one  or  two  hours. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 

Be  so  good  as  to  send  a  speedy  answer  of  what  you 
think  proper  to  order  me. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Cranbarry,  half  past  nine  o'clock,  29  June,  1778. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — Inclosed  I  have  the  honor  to  send  you 
a  letter  which  Colonel  Hamilton  was  going  to  send  me  from 
this  place  when  I  arrived  with  the  detachment,  and  which 
may  give  you  an  idea  of  the  position  of  the  enemy,  I  will 
try  to  meet  and  collect  as  soon  as  possible  our  forces,  tho' 
I  am  sorry  to  find  the  enemy  so  far  down  that  way.  We 
will  be  obliged  to  march  pretty  fast,  if  we  want  to  attack 
them.  It  is  for  that  I  am  particularly  concerned  about  pro- 
visions. I  send  back  immediately  for  the  purpose,  and  beg 
you  would  give  orders  to  have  them  forwarded  as  speedily 
as  possible,  and  directed  to  march  fast,  for  I  believe  we 
must  set  out  early  to-morrow  morning.  The  detachment 
is  in  a  wood,  covered  by  Cranberry  Creek,  and  I  believe 
extremely  safe.  We  want  to  be  very  well  furnished  with 
spirits  as  a  long  and  quick  march  may  be  found  necessary, 
and  if  Gen.  Scot's  detachment  is  not  provided,  it  should  be 
furnished  also  with  liquor ;  but  the  provisions  of  this  de- 
tachment are  the  most  necessary  to  be  sent  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, as  we  expect  them  to  march. 

If  any  thing  new  comes  to  my  knowledge,  I  will  imme- 
diately write  to  your  excellency,  and  I  will  send  an  ex* 
press  in  the  morning. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  455 

I  wish  also  we  could  get  some  axes,   but  it  should  not 
stop  the  so  important  affairs  of  provisions. 


TO  THE  COUNT  DE  VERGENNES. 

St.  Jean  d'Angely,  June,  1779. 

SIR, — I  learnt  before  I  left  Paris,  that  a  loan,  negociat- 
ing  in  Holland  for  England,  and  which  was  to  have  been 
completed  the  coming  autumn,  would  be  stopped,  be- 
cause the  lenders  had  demanded  one  per  cent  more  inter- 
est. This  loan  was  undertaken  by  a  banker  of  English 
origin,  who  has  apportioned  it  among  a  great  many  per- 
sons, and  had  become  lender-general  to  the  English  govern- 
ment. 1  am  told  that  some  profits  over  and  above  the 
commission  might  help  America  to  this  sum,  amounting  to 
above  forty  millions.  I  communicated  this  information  to 
the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  to  be  imparted  to  you  ;  but 
having  discharged  that  duty  towards  the  Americans,  I 
feared  lest  M.  Necker  would  not  share  in  my  earnestness. 
I  have  already  appropriated  twenty  millions  to  bank  stock, 
ten  to  an  expedition,  and  ten  to  pay  the  interest  until  the 
final  reimbursement. 

I  received  at  the  moment  I  was  coming  away  a  letter  from 
America,  dated  in  the  month  of  January,  in  which  the 
President  informed  me  in  behalf  of  Congress,  that  they  had 
changed  their  determination  respecting  the  joint  expedition 
to  Canada.  The  reasons  assigned  are,  the  slight  probabil- 
ity of  Rhode  Island  and  New  York  being  evacuated  next 
winter,  the  uncertainty  of  the  enemy's  movements  next 
spring,  and  therefore  the  impossibility  of  promising  their 
quota  of  the  troops,  fixed  in  the  plan  that  I  was  intrusted 
with.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 


TO  THE  COUNT  DE  VERGENNES. 

Havre,  9  July,  1779. 

SIR,     If  my  letter  from  America  had  contained  any  inter- 
esting information,  I  should  not  have  delayed  a  moment 


456  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

to  acquaint  you  with  it ;  but  it  is  only  a  confirmation  of 
what  you  heard,  and  we  have  some  later  news  by  the  way 
of  England.  It  will  be  injurious  to  commerce  for  the 
British  to  have  the  command  of  James  River,  and  while 
they  can  coast  along-  those  shores  with  impunity,  their 
transient  descents  will  almost  always  succeed.  If  they 
should  establish  themselves  in  their  new  profession,  to  drive 
them  out  would  be  the  more  accordant  to  the  plan  I  spoke 
to  you  about ;  as,  in  Virginia,  November  and  even  Decem- 
ber are  good  campaigning  months.  The  arrival  of  M. 
Gerard  will  certainly  supply  you  with  many  details  of 
American  affairs,  the  Swedish  ambassador  has  sent  me,  in 
the  name  of  his  king,  the  most  flattering  assurances,  and 
well  suited  to  awaken  my  gratitude,  but  the  vessels  are  not 
forthcoming,  and  if  we  go  to  America,  we  must  go  under 
the  Spanish  or  French  flag.  1  think  if  our  Southern  allies 
should  engage  alone  in  a  similar  expedition,  they  would  do 
more  harm  than  good  by  it. 

I  wish  I  could  send  news  that  the  English  fleet  was  beat- 
en in  good  earnest ;  and  whilst  I  wait  that  event  with  as  much 
interest,  as  if  I  was  at  the  head  of  the  fleet,  the  army  and 
the  whole  ministry,  I  do  not  forget  that  your  time  is 
precious,  and  so  I  shall  content  myself  with  presenting  to 
you  the  homage  of  my  respect  and  my  attachment. 


TO  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  CONGRESS. 

Havre,  7th  October,  1779. 

SIR, — As  from  their  minister  in  France,  any  European 
intelligence  will  be  properly  conveyed  to  congress,  I  beg 
only  the  leave  of  pay  ing  them  a  due  tribute  of  my  respect  and 
heartfelt  assurance  of  my  unbounded  zeal,  love  and  grati- 
tude :  so  sensible  I  am  of  their  goodness  towards  me,  that 
I  flatter  myself  they  will  kindly  receive  this  letter  from  one 
who  will  ever  boast  in  the  name  of  an  American  soldier, 
and  whose  delight  has  been  long  ago,  in  sharing  the  same 
fortune  as  the  American  people,  never  to  be  considered  but 
as  a  countryman  of  theirs. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  457 

land  has  been  obliged  to  make,  the  terror  that  has  been 
spread  along  her  own  shores,  while  her  naval  forces  were 
flying  in  the  channel  before  our  fleet,  and  suffering  them- 
selves to  be  insulted  by  our  vanguard  frigates,  and  at  length 
the  obligation  our  fleet  was  under,  to  repair  into  the  har- 
bour of  Brest  for  getting  provisions  and  water,  are  events 
which  will  be  more  accurately  reported  by  Mr.  Franklin's 
dispatches.  The  Ardent,  man-of-war  ol  sixty-four  guns 
has  been  taken  by  two  French  frigates.  Captain  Jones's 
small  American  squadron  had  the  good  luck  of  taking 
lately  a  fleet  from  the  Baltic,  and  displaying  Continental 
colours  along  the  coasts  of  Scotland. 

Since  I  had  the  honor  to  write  to  your  excellency,  I 
have  ever  been  with  Count  de  Vaux's  army,  which  was  di- 
vided in  two  corps  at  St.  Malo  and  the  Havre,  and  con- 
sisted of  thirty  thousand  men.  Another  body  has  been 
stationed  in  Flanders,  arid  two  thousand  dragoons  are  to 
embark  at  Brest. — The  project  of  invading  England  was 
at  first  retarded  by  a  difficult  meeting  of  the  French  and 
Spanish  fleets  on  account  of  contrary  winds,  by  useless 
efforts  to  bring  out  the  enemy  to  an  engagement,  and  the 
necesssity  of  repairing  into  the  harbour  of  Brest.  How  it 
will  be  possible  to  bring  out  the  expedition  in  the  autumn 
is  yet  undetermined,  but  it  will  be  perhaps  delayed  until 
next  spring,  though  the  ministry  seem  very  anxious  of  act- 
ing in  this  campaign. 

Suppose  the  taking  of  Gibraltar,  which  they  are  going 
to  attack  with  the  greater  vigor,  was  the  only  European 
conquest  for  this  year,  the  large  expenses  France  has  made 
will  yet  be  of  a  great  use  to  the  common  cause,  as  it  has 
exhausted  England  and  detained  at  home  forces  which 
would  have  done  mischief  in  the  other  part  of  the  world. 

The  loss  which  the  enemy  have  sustained  in  the  East 
Indies  has  been  very  severly  felt  by  them,  and  from  their 
negociations  in  Europe  they  cannot  procure  themselves 
any  allies. 

Count  d'Estaing's  arrival  on  the  American  coasts  will,  I 
hope,  have  produced  such  an  effect  as  we  earnestly  desire. 
How  truly  concerned,  how  truly  unhappy  I  am  in  being 
confined  to  mere  wishes,  Congress,  from  the  knowledge 

HH 


458  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

they  have  of  my  sentiments  will  better  feel  for  me  than  I 
might  myself  express.  The  furlough  they  were  pleased 
to  give  me  was  unlimited,  no  one  could  imagine  the  cam- 
paign would  take  such  a  turn,  and  till  the  month  of  June 
I  was  in  hopes  of  rendering  myself,  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  of  a  more  immediate  use  to  the  United  States.  The 
expedition  against  England  had  been  afterwards  fixed  up- 
on, and  my  services  were  thought  useful  to  my  country 
and  the  common  cause  :  So  that  I  hope  Congress  will  ap- 
prove of  my  conduct. 

Whatever  may  be  the  success  of  the  campaign  in  Ameri- 
ca, it  will  certainly  bring  on  new  projects  for  the  ensuing 
year.  The  sense  I  have  of  the  favors  conferred  on  me  by 
congress,  and  the  marks  of  confidence  which  I  have  ob- 
tained in  many  occasions,  give  me  the  freedom  of  remind- 
ing them  that  the  moments  where  I  may  find  myself  under 
American  colours,  among  my  fellow  soldiers,  and  take 
orders  from  our  great  and  heroic  General  will  ever  be  con- 
sidered as  the  happiest  ones  in  my  life. 

If  there  is  any  thing  in  France  where  not  only  as  a 
soldier,  but  as  a  politician,  or  in  whatever  possible  light,  I 
may  employ  my  exertions  to  the  advantage  of  the  United 
States,  I  hope  it  is  useless  to  tell  that  I  will  seize  the  hap- 
py opportunity  and  bless  the  fortunate  hour  which  shall 
render  me  useful  to  those  whom  I  love  with  all  the  ardor 
and  frankness  of  my  heart. 

The  inestimable  sword  which  Congress  have  generously 
added  to  their  so  many  favors,  I  have  received  from  their 
minister  with  such  honorable  services  as  by  far  exceed  any 
merit  I  may  ever  boast  of.  This  present  has  been  also 
graced  by  Mr.  Franklin's  politeness  in  offering  it,  and  I 
could  not  help  repeating  again  to  Congress  some  assurances 
of  those  sentiments  which  for  ever  will  animate  my  grate- 
ful heart. 

With  the  warm  feelings  of  one  whose  first  ambition  and 
delight  is  to  be  known  in  this  and  to  be  called  in  ages  to 
come  a  lover  of  America,  who  is  bound  to  his  represen- 
tatives by  the  most  respectful  and  tender  attachment  and 
gratitude,  and  with  the  highest  regard  for  your  excellency. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be  your's  &c. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  45D 

Paris,  9th  January,  1780. 

SIR, — You  were  too  busy  yesterday  for  me  to  communi- 
cate to  you  the  answer  of  M.  de  Montbarrey  to  the  request 
for  powder  and  guns  which  I  had  taken  it  upon  me  to 
make.  I  spoke  in  my  own  name,  and  the  advice  which  I 
took  the  liberty  of  giving  was  not  ill  received.  M.  de 
Montbarrey  told  me  that  he  would  speak  to  you  about  it. 
He  promised  me  an  early  answer  ;  and  as  you  favor  my 
request,  I  hope  that  we  shall  soon  obtain  the  powder  and 
the  fifteen  thousand  complete  sets  of  accoutrements,  which 
we  would  add  to  the  clothes  bought  with  the  king's 
money.  You  are  conferring  a  great  obligation  upon 
America,  and  affording  her  great  additional  means  of  con- 
tributing to  the  advancement  of  the  grand  common  cause. 
Every  citizen  must  be  strongly  interested  in  the  fate  of  our 
islands,  and  must  fear  the  effects,  which  would  follow  if  an 
expedition  should  go  out  from  New  York.  It  is  enough 
to  know  that  country,  whose  independence  is  so  important 
to  the  honor  and  safety  of  France,  to  desire  that  it  may  be 
not  forgotten  in  the  plan  of  the  campaign,  and  to  regret 
the  loss  of  the  time  which  might  be  employed  in  giving  it 
assistance.  But  the  extensive  operations  are  beyond  my 
sphere,  I  shall  merely  ask  for  my  guns,  and  assure  you  of 
the  strong  affection  and  respect  with  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  be,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON.* 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Peekskill,  July  the  20th,  1780. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — Having  heard  of  an  express  from 
Rhode  Island  being  going  through  the  Continental  vil- 
lage, I  sent  for  him  as  it  would  not  delay  him  more 

*  This  letter  was  written  by  General  La  Fayette,  while  on  his  journey  ti  Newport,  R. 
I.,  whither  he  had  been  sent  with  full  instructions  to  concert  measures  of  co-oi  eration 
with  the  French  Gene  als  De  Rochambcau  and  De  Ternay.  A  co  y  of  these  instructions 
is  given  in  Sharks'  History  of  Washington,  Vol.  7,  App.  III.  See  also  the  answer  of 
Washington  to  La  Fayette,  ib.  p.  117. 


460         ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

than  an  hour.  Inclosed  I  have  the  honor  to  send  you 
the  letter  from  Gen.  Heath,  which  I  have  opened,  and 
also  two  letters  from  the  French  ^generals  to  me.  It 
seems,  my  dear  General,  that  they  have  anticipated  the 
desire  you  expressed  yourself  of  our  plans  in  a  private 
conversation.  That  way  indeed  will  do  better  than  a 
hundred  letters.  In  case  (what  however  I  don't  believe) 
they  would  wish  to  speak  to  yourself,  I  shall  imme- 
diately send  an  express  to  inform  you  of  it ;  but  I  dare 
say  they  will  be  satisfied  with  my  coming. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  they  are  hunting  after  the  Cork 
fleet,  and  those  frigates  being  out  will  also  apprise  them 
of  the  enemy's  naval  motions. 

Adieu,  my  dear  General.  With  a  heart  full  of  hopes, 
and  I  think  of  well  grounded  expectations,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be  very  tenderly  and  respectfully,  &c. 

P.  S.  It  is  much  to  be  lamented  that  Paul  Jones  did 
not  come  in  the  first  envoy.  In  case  there  is  nothing  to 
fear  from  the  enemy,  I  will  send  the  clothing  to  New- 
London.  Be  certain,  my  dear  General,  that  though  by 
serious  reflexions  and  calculations  which  I  can  prove  to 
be  right,  I  have  great  hopes  of  success,  I  shall  how- 
ever look  upon  and  speak  of  all  the  difficulties  that  may 
present  themselves.  I  have  on  public  and  private 
accounts  many  reasons  to  feel  the  consequence  of  the 
plan  in  question,  and  to  take  the  greatest  care  in  consid- 
ering by  myself  and  explaining  to  others  our  circumstan- 
ces. The  delay  of  the  small  arms  I  don't  consider  as 
equally  hurtful  to  our  affairs  as  will  be  the  deficiency  of 
powder.  But  as  (even  at  the  so  much  overrated  calcu- 
lations) we  have  enough  of  it  for  one  month,  I  will  try 
to  get  a  supply  from  the  fleet,  and  then  it  will  come  to 
the  same  point.  You  will  hear  from  me  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible after  my  arrival. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE,  461 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Danbury,  July  the  21st,  1780. 

As  I  find  an  express  going  from  Hartford  to  General 
Greene,  I  send  this  letter  to  him  that  you  might  hear 
something  farther  about  the  recruits  of  Connecticut. 

From  the  Colonel  who  under  Gen.  Parsons  is  intrust- 
ed with  the  care  of  forwarding  them,  I  hear  that  by  the 
first  of  August  two  thousand  of  them  will  be  at  West 
Point ;  but  I  had  put  in  my  head  that  they  were  to  bring 
arms  with  them,  and  I  find  it  is  not  the  case. 
Gen.  Parsons  and  myself  will  meet  at  Newtown,  where, 
in  mentioning  again  to  him  the  necessity  of  hurrying  the 
recruits  to  West  Point,  I  will  apprise  him  that  you  have 
been  disappointed  in  the  expectation  of  some  powder, 
and  desire  him  to  write  to  you  how  far,  in  case  of  an 
emergency,  you  might  be  provided  for  with  that  article 
from  his  state. 

In  case  Gen.  Parsons  thought  that  my  waiting  on  the 
governor  and  council  might  answer  any  purpose,  I  would 
go  three  or  four  miles  out  of  my  way  to  preach  to  them 
some  of  my  old  sermons. 

With  the  help  of  French  horses  whom  I  make  free 
with  on  the  road,  I  hope  I  will  arrive  very  soon  at  Rhode 
Island.  Nothing  about  Graves'  fleet ;  but  I  am  happy 
to  think  that  they  will  find  our  people  ready  to  receive 
them  at  Newport. 

When  I  wrote  you,  my  dear  General,  that  my  heart 
was  full  of  flattering  expectations,  it  is  understood  that  I 
suppose  a  sufficiency  of  arms  and  ammunition,  which  I 
thought  so  far  useless  to  explain,  as  I  hope  you  believe  I 
have  some  common  sense.  But  I  had  an  idea  that  the 
recruits  would  be  armed,  and  I  yet  think  (though  I  had 
no  reason  to  be  particular  on  that  head)  that  you  have 
many  small  arms  in  your  stores.  For  what  relates  to 
the  powder,  I  hope  that  what  you  willget  from  the  states, 


462  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

and  what  I  flatter  myself  to  borrow  from  the  French 
fleet,  will  put  you  in  a  situation  to  wait  for  the  alliance. 
You  may  remember  that  the  second  division  is  to  come 
before,  or  very  little  after,  the  beginning  of  our  operations. 
I  however  confess  it  is  impossible  not  to  be  very  an- 
gry at  captain  Jones's  delays,  and  much  disappointed  in 
our  expectations.  The  only  thing  I  want  to  know,  is  if 
you  depend  on  a  sufficiency  of  arms  and  ammunition  for  the 
first  thirty  days.  Be  certain  that  before  settling  any 
thing,  my  great  basis  will  be,  when  and  how  does  the  sec- 
ond division  come,  and  how  far  may  we  depend  on  the  arms 
and  ammunition  coming  with  them. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  respectfully,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Hartford,  July  the  22d,  1780.* 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  hasten  to  inform  you  that  the 
missing  transport  is  safely  arrived,  on  the  19th,  at  Bos- 
ton. She  is  said  to  be  a  two-decker,  and  to  have  on 
board  a  vast  deal  of  powder,  with  pieces  of  ordnance, 
arid  also  the  baggage  of  the  officers  of  Bourbonnsis. — The 
intelligence  came  this  instant  by  an  officer  of  our  army 
who  saw  the  men  encamped  on  the  commons,  from 
where  they  were  to  march  to  Providence.  Two  Ameri- 
can frigates  were,  I  am  told,  ordered  to  convoy  the  ship 
around  the  Rhode  Island ;  but  as  their  orders  were  to 
sail  by  to-morrow,  they  will  have  time  to  receive  con- 
trary directions  from  the  French  Admiral.  The  inclosed 
newspaper  will  acquaint  you  of  Graves's  cruising  off' 
Block  Island,  and  on  their  first  appearance,  Chev.  de 
Ternay  will  certainly  dispatch  an  express  to  Boston. 

*  It  appears  from  Spark's  Hist,  of  Washington,  p.  125.  n.  that  in  his  progress  to  New- 
Port,  General  La  Fayette  called  on  Governor  Prittttbult,  General  Parsons,  Mr.  Jeremiah 
Wadsworth,the  Commissary-General,  and  other  persons  in  Connecticut,  to  procure  and 
'hasten  forward  the  quota  of  troops,  and  such  supplies  of  arms  and  ammunition  as  could 
b-e  spared  from  that  estate,  to  co-operate  with  the  French  troops  upon  their  landing. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  463 

In  a  conversation  which  I  had  yesterday  with  Gene- 
ral Parsons,  he  told  me  that  he  thought  the  number  of 
your  arms  in  stores,  amounted  to  ten  thousand,  ex- 
clusive of  those  which  are  now  in  the  hands  of  the  men. 
He  seems  to  be  of  opinion,  and  so  is  Col.  Wadsworth, 
that  there  is  no  inconvenience  in  their  State's  furnishing 
their  drafts  with  arms,  and  giving  even  a  larger  propor- 
tion if  thought  necessary.  They  say  those  arms  may 
be  by  the  5th  of  August  at  King's  Ferry.  I  was  so  par- 
ticular as  to  make  myself  certain  that  this  demand  will 
not  in  the  least  impeach  any  other  measure,  and  as  it 
would  be  too  distressing  to  fall  short  on  that  article,  I 
will  take  on  myself,  though  in  a  private  capacity,  to  per- 
suade the  Governor  and  Council  in  the  measure  of  arm- 
ing every  one  of  the  men  whom  they  send  out,  and  for- 
warding the  arms  to  King's  Ferry,  or  West  Point,  as 
you  may  direct. 

As  to  the  matter  of  ammunition  Gen.  Parsons  thinks 
that  (as  far  as  he  may  guess,)  near  fifty  tons  of  powder 
might  be  collected.  Col.  Wadsworth  says  he  can't  as- 
certain the  quantity.  They  have  three  mills,  and  from 
what  I  can  collect,  I  am  certain  that  if  you  attack  New 
York,  this  State  will  do  all  in  their  power.  I  will  fore- 
tell the  Governor,  that  he  will  have  a  large  demand  of 
ammunition,  and  let  you  know  how  much  we  are  to  de- 
pend upon,  as  far  as  I  may  guess  from  his  answer. 
Massachusetts  have,  say  they,  a  vast  deal  of  powder. 

I  intend  to  breakfast  at  Newport  the  day  after  to-mor- 
row, and  as  soon  as  I  can  make  out  any  thing  worth 
the  while,  from  my  conversation  with  them,  I  will  let 
you  know  every  matter  that  may  be  interesting. 

With  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  friendship,, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  dear  General,  &c. 

I  am  told  that  the  French  are  in  a  great  want  of  ve- 
getables. I  think  it  will  be  agreeable  to.  them  to  forward: 
their  waggons  and  horses  as  much  as  possible.* 

*  The  answer  to  the  above  letter  appears  in  Spark's  Writ,  of  Washington,  Vol.  7,  p, 
125.    £eealsoib.p.!27,note. 


464  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Lebanon,  July  the  23d,  1780.* 

M\r  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  had  this  morning  the  honor 
to  wait  on  His  Excellency,  the  governor,  and  took  the 
liberty,  though  in  a  private  capacity,  to  inform  him  of  our 
circumstances.  The  result  of  our  conversation  I  will 
therein  transmit  to  you,  and  to  be  more  certain  of  con- 
veying the  governor's  ideas,  I  am  writing  at  his  own 
house,  and  will  show  him  my  letter  before  I  fold  it  up. 

To  begin  by  the  article  of  powder  which  is  so  much 
wanted,  and  which,  from  unforeseen  circumstances  may, 
by  its  deficiency  ruin  all  our  expectations,  I  am,  by  the 
Governor,  desired  to  tell  you  that  you  may  depend  up- 
on :  Istly.  Fifty  four  tons  for  the  present.  2dly,  Fifteen 
tons  to  be  made  up  in  the  course  of  August,  by  the  three 
Connecticut  Mills.  3dly,  Twenty  tons,  which  in  case  of 
an  absolute  necessity,  will  be  found  out  in  this  State ; 
the  whole  amounting  to  eighty-five  tons,  which  he  would 
try  to  encrease,  if  possible,  to  ninety.  How  far  that  may 
fulfil  your  expectations,  I  don't  know,  but  his  Excellency 
will  wait  for  a  letter  from  you  on  this  subject. 

As  to  the  balls,  shells,  &c.,  the  Governor  cannot  as 
yet  ascertain  the  quantity  to  be  expected,  but  thinks  this 
State  may  go  a  great  length. 

His  resources  for  arms  have  been,  it  seems,  overrated 
by  General  Parsons,  and  other  gentlemen,  whose  opi- 
nions I  had  communicated  to  your  Excellency.  The 
Governor  thinks  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  arm  the 
whole  of  the  recruits.  He  will,  however,  if  requested 
by  you,  do  any  thing  in  his  power,  and  might  have  a 
good  prospect  of  succeeding  for  the  half  part  of  them. 

*  This  is  one  of  the  letteri  referred  to  U  Gen.  Wanhingtoa'*  letter  of  26th  July.  Spark'* 
Wfit.of  Wash.  v,7,  p.  128. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  465 

Tho'  I  had  no  orders  for  this  inter  vie  w  \vilh  Gover- 
nor Trumbull,  and  from  the  knowledge  of  our  circum- 
stances, took  upon  myself  the  freedom  of  disclosing  them 
to  him,  I  heard  your  Excellency's  sentiments  on  one 
point  so  often,  so  strongly,  and  so  repeatedly  expressed, 
that  I  could  with  all  certainty  assure  him,  that  you 
would  not  ask  from  the  State  more  than  is  necessary  to 
answer  our  great  purposes,  and  in  delivering  the  coun- 
try from  the  danger  of  ruin  and  the  disgrace  of  a  shame- 
ful inability,  to  turn  this  decisive  crisis  to  the  honor 
and  safety  of  America. 

I  took  also  the  liberty  of  mentioning  something  about 
clothing  the  officers,  and  assured  the  Governor  that 
you  thought  the  measure  to  be  highly  necessary.  He 
entirely  agrees  in  opinion  with  me,  arid  does  not  doubt 
but  that  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Council  a  sufficient 
sum  in  hard  money  will  be  delivered  lor  that  purpose. 
The  knowledge  I  have  of  Colonel  Wads  worth's  zeal 
and  activity  makes  me  desirous  that  he  be  intrusted  with 
that  business. 

As  to  the  clothing  from  the  fleet,  it  seems  the  Gover- 
nor wishes  it  to  be  sent  into  Connecticut  river,  and  I  will 
engage  the  French  Admiral  into  that  measure  ;  for  I  am 
very  warm  in  this  opinion,  my.  dear  General,  and  so  I 
know  you  are,  that  as  less  trouble  as  possible  must  be 
given  to  the  people  whose  exertions  should  be  entirely 
thrown  in  such  channels,  as  are  of  absolute  necessity  ; 
but  if  we  can't  send  the  clothing  around  without  an  emi- 
nent danger  of  its  being  taken,  then  his  Excellency  the 
Governor  will  send  it  with  all  possible  dispatch  and  by 
pressed  waggons  from  the  boundaries  of  Rhode  Island 
to  any  place  on  the  North  River,  which  is  mentioned  in 
Mr.  Olney's  instructions. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  dear  General,  &c. 
Your's,  &c. 

P.  S.— -I  have  read  my  letter  to  the  Governor  and  he 
agrees  with  the  contents.  He  will  immediately  give  or- 

ii 


466  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

ders  about  the  Mills,  and  collect  four  hundred  French 
arms  he  had  in  stocks.* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Newport,  July  26th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Every  private  intelligence  from 
Long-Island,  and  also  the  letters  from  General  Howe, 
and  the  officer  on  the  lines  do  agree  with  the  note  I  have 
received  from  Colonel  Hamilton,  and  are  all  positive 
upon  it  that  General  Clinton,  with  a  great  part  of  his 
army,  is  coming  to  attack  the  French  troops. 

In  consequence  of  this  Count  de  Rochambeau  is  forti- 
fying both  Islands,  and  making  preparations  of  defence. 
He  has  requested  our  calling  immediately  a  body  of 
militia,  which  demand  has  been  complied  with  by 
General  Heath. 

After  many  intelligences  had  been  received,  I  did  yet 
persist  in  disbelieving  the  report,  but  they  now  come 
from  so  many  quarters,  that  I  am  obliged  to  yield  to  the 
general  idea,  and  expect  them  in  a  little  time. 

I  have  no  doubt  but  that  in  the  course  of  the  day  we 
will  receive  some  orders,  and  some  intelligences  from 
head-quarters.  The  French  Generals  have  asked  me 
if  your  army  was  in  a  situation  to  make  a  diversion,  or  if 
a  part  of  it  would  not  be  marched  immediately  to  our 
relief.  My  answer  was,  that  if  you  was  able  to  do  one 
or  the  other,  you  would  certainly  not  lose  a  minute,  but 
that  I  could  not  tell  them  any  thing  positive  ;  that  how- 
ever, I  thought  you  would  come  nearer  to  New- York 
than  you  was  when  at  Preakaness. 

*  For  the  answer  to  the  above,  See  Spark'i  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  7,  p.  124. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  467 

All  the  last  day  has  been  employed  or  in  viewing  the 
camp  with  Count  de  Rochambeau,  or  in  helping  Gene- 
ral Heath  in  his  arrangements.  This  morning  the  Count 
is  gone  to  reconnoitre  the  grounds  on  the  Island.  We 
dine  together  at  the  Admiral's,  and  I  will,  if  possible, 
begin  our  conversation,  our  affairs  exclusive  of  what  we 
are  now  expecting  from  the  enemy. 

In  case  you  was  to  send  some  troops  this  way,  I  wish 
I  might  get  notice  in  such  a  time  as  to  have  some  cloth- 
ing kept  on  the  road,  but  in  all  cases  we  should  take 
some  well  looking  and  well  dressed  men ;  that,  I  only 
mention  as  a  mere  supposition. 

If  the  enemy  mean  regular  approaches  the  French  Gen- 
erals say  that  they  would  give  time  for  a  succour  to  come. 
In  all  suppositions  I  don't  think  the  French  will  be  able 
to  form  a  junction  before  some  time,  as  they  can't  leave 
the  Island  before  the  fifteenth  of  next  month,  (in  sup- 
posing that  they  are  not  attacked.)  They  have  many 
sick,  but  I  will  soon  be  able  to  tell  you  more  about  it, 
and  had  not  those  intelligences  been  so  pressing,  I  might 
have  by  this  time  fully  spoken  on  our  affairs  with  the 
French  Generals. 

For  my  part,  my  dear  General,  till  orders  from  you 
fix  any  thing  I  am  to  do,  I  will  stay  here  under  General 
Heath's  orders,  and  help  him  to  the  best  of  my  skill. 
As  soon  as  any  thing  important  comes  to  us  I  will  send 
you  an  express. 

From  private  inquiries  I  hope  the  fleet  will  furnish  us 
with  some  powder.  As  to  the  militia  who  are  called  by 
General  Heath,  the  French  army  will  spare  to  them  such 
provisions  as  may  be  wanted. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  with  the  most  perfect  respect 
and  tender  affection,  Yours,  &c. 


468  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Newport,  July  the  26th,  at  Seven  o'clock,  P.  M.* 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  had  this  morning  the  honor 
of  writing  to  you  by  Genl.  Heath's  express,  and  informed 
you  that  we  had  from  every  official  and  private  quarter 
minuted  accounts  of  the  enemy's  coming  in  great 
force  to  attack  this  island.  For  my  part  I  have  been  a 
long  time  a  disbeliever  of  the  intelligence  ;  but  so  many 
letters  came  to  hand  that  at  length  I  was  forced  to  take 
the  general  opinion  about  their  intended  expedition.  But, 
tho'  I  wrote  you  in  the  morning,  I  know  you  are  anxious 
of  hearing  often  from  this  quarter,  and  will  therefore 
desire  General  Heath  to  send  an  other  express. 

Nothing  as  yet  (the  ships  of  war  excepted)  has 
come  in  sight ;  but  the  French  Generals  who  have  not 
the  smallest  doubt  about  their  coming,  are  hurrying  their 
preparations  of  defence. 

General  Heath  and  myself  were  invited  to  a  meeting 
of  the  French  General  Officers,  wherein,  to  my  great 
satisfaction,  the  idea  of  holding  both  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island  was  abandoned,  as  it  is  assured  that  from 
the  first  one  the  enemy  cannot  annoy  our  shipping,  if  in 
a  certain  position.  Count  de  Rochambeau,  Chevalier 
de  Chattelux,  and  myself,  went  afterwards  to  dine  with 
the  Admiral,  and  the  two  French  Commanders  have 
agreed  to  the  following  plan  : 

The  transports  to  be  put  in  the  harbour  of  Newport ; 
the  shipping  to  anchor  along  the  shore  from  Brenton's 
Point,  going  Northward,  where  they  are  protected  by 
batteries,  a  frigate  and  a  cutter  to  be  stationed  in  Sekon- 
net  Passage  ;  the  army  to  encamp  at  its  usual  place,  but 
upon  the  appearance  of  the  enemy,  to  be  in  readiness  to 

*  For  the  answer  to  this  letter,  See  Spark's  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  7,  p.  138. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  469 

attack  them  at  any  point  where  they  may  disembark, 
and,  if  unsuccessful,  to  retire  to  the  position  which  was 
once  occupied  by  the  enemy.  There  they  want  also  to 
place  some  militia.  Count  de  Rochambeau  cannot  hear 
of  the  idea  of  evacuating  the  island,  and  says  he  will  de- 
fend this  post  to  the  last  man.  I  could  not  help  advis- 
ing him  very  strongly  and  very  often  to  erect  works, 
and  keep  a  communication  open  with  the  Continent  by 
Rowland's  Ferry  or  Bristol  Point,  that  matter  will,  I 
hope,  be  attended  to  in  the  course  of  the  next  day. 

General  Heath  will  inform  you  of  the  measures  he 
has  taken,  in  which,  as  the  second  officer,  I  am  only  to 
help  him  to  the  best  of  my  power.  The  Count's  urging 
request,  made  it,  I  think,  necessary  to  call  for  Militia. 

The  number  of  sick  is  such  that  by  the  return  given 
before  me  to  Count  de  Rochambeau,  it  appears  they 
will  have  but  three  thousand  six  hundred  men  fit  for 
duty  if  they  are  attacked  within  a  few  days.  The  fleet 
has  a  great  proportion  of  sick  men  and  the  ships  are 
therefore  poorly  manned  for  the  present. 

Count  de  Rochambeau  asked  me  so  often  if  you  would 
not  send  a  body  of  Continental  troops  to  their  relief ;  if, 
in  the  course  of  twelve  days  from  this  they  could  not  be 
arrived,  or  that  I  knew  he  wanted  me  to  write  to  you 
about  it,  and  at  length  he  told  me  he  did  not  want  it. 
But  this  must  be  between  us.  The  Count  says  he  will 
stand  a  storm ;  but  if  the  enemy  wanted  to  make  a  long 
work  of  it  that  a  corps  of  Continental  troops  in  their  rear 
would  have  the  best  effects.  That  in  this  case  the 
enemy  would  be  much  exposed  on  the  Island,  and  that 
the  circumstances  which  would  follow  their  re-embark- 
ing, would  be  so  fatal  to  them  as  to  facilitate  our  opera- 
tions for  the  campaign.  All  this,  my  dear  General,  I  was 
in  a  private  manner  desired  to  hint  to  you. 

We  could  not  speak  of  our  grand  operations,  and  they 
are  wholly  taken  in  their  expectations  of  the  enemy. 
But  what  might  be  an  inducement  to  send  a  corps  this 
way  is,  that  in  any  case  the  French  will  not  be  able  to 
march  before  the  15th  of  August. 


470  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

A  return  of  the  clothing  has  been  promised  to  me  for 
this  evening,  but  tho'  1  am  sorry  to  be  the  news-bearer 
of  so  many  disappointments,  I  must  tell  you  that  from 
what  they  said  to  me  nothing  but  a  small  part  of  the 
clothing  has  been  intrusted  to  them,  and  that  not  only 
nothing  new  has  been  done,  but  what  I  had  settled  has 
been  undone  by  those  arrangements  of  the  alliance  which 
I  can't  conceive.  In  case  you  was  to  send  troops  this 
way,  I  think  their  route  to  Providence  should  be  known, 
so  that  they  might  meet  the  clothing  on  the  way. 

What  you  will  do,  my  dear  General,  I  don't  know, 
but  it  seems  Count  de  Rochambeau  is  determined  to 
defend  Newport,  at  all  events. 

With  the  most  perfect  respect  and  tender  sentiments, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Yours,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Newport,  July  the  29th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  letter  of  the  22d*  came  to 
hand  last  evening,  and  I  hasten  to  answer  at  least  to  a 
part  of  its  contents.  I  shall  begin  by  the  disagreeable 
disappointment  I  met  with  on  account  of  our  clothing. 
Inclosed,  my  dear  General,  you  will  find  the  return 
of  what  has  been  put  on  board  of  the  fleet,  which 
I  have  sent  by  a  vessel  to  Providence,  and  which  will 
be  forwarded  to  head-quarters.  I  can't  tell  you  how 
much  I  feel  for  that  shoking  arrangement  of  clothing,  but 
as  it  is  not  quite  so  essential  to  arms  and  powder,  if  we 
have  no  clothing.  I  shall  be  the  forwardest  to  advise 
our  acting  without  it.  I  am  apt  to  blush  for  neglecting 

*  See  Spark's  Writ.  Of  Waih.  vol.  7,  p.  117. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

improvements  that  are  within  my  rea.ch,  but  I  readily 
do  without  those  which  are  not  in  our  power. 

As  to  the  affair  of  arms  I  spoke  this  morning  to  the 
Count,  and  am  sorry  to  find  that  he  has  but  the  most 
necessary  articles  of  exchange  which  are  to  answer  to 
the  daily  broken  arms,  &c.,  his  superfluous  armament  is 
coming  in  the  second  division,  and  for  the  present  there 
is  nothing  to  expect  from  that  quarter.  The  only  way, 
my  dear  General,  will  be  to  request  the  States  to  pick 
up  arms  for  their  recruits.  Governor  Trumbull,  (as  you 
may  have  seen  by  my  letter  from  Lebanon,)  thinks 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  in  this  matter ;  but 
many  other  Gentlemen  from  the  State  assure  that  it  can 
be  done.  I  will  desire  Colonel  Wadsworth  to  manage 
that  affair  with  the  Governor,  and  I  will  also  write  a 
private  letter  to  Mr.  Bowdoin  and  Governor  Greene. 

As  to  the  powder,  my  dear  General,  I  hope  the  Navy 
will  give  us  some,  not  however  a  great  deal.  You  can- 
not conceive  how  difficult  it  is  for  the  present  to  speak 
with  them  on  offensive  plans.  They  expect  Clinton 
at  every  minute,  and  say  his  success  will  decide  our 
operations,  I  had  however  this  morning  a  conversation 
with  the  Land  General,  and  was  to  see  in  the  evening 
the  Admiral,  who,  I  am  told,  cannot  come,  so  that  I 
must  delay  it  to  be  done  to-morrow. 

Connecticut  will,  I  think,  furnish  you  with  a  much 
greater  quantity  than  you  expected.  How  far  it  will 
fulfil  your  purpose  I  hope  to  hear  from  you  ;  but  I  can- 
not flatter  you  to  get  so  much  from  the  fleet  as  two  hun- 
dred, even  as  hundred  tons. 

I  have  fully  considered,  my  dear  General,  the  idea  of 
those  French  Generals,  and  made  myself  acquainted 
with  every  thing  that  has  past  since  my  departure  from 
France.  A  great  mismanagement  in  the  affair  of  trans- 
ports, has  prevented  the  whole  coming  here  at  once ; 
but  as  the  French  and  Spaniards  have  a  superiority, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  if  they  join  together  as  was 
intended,  the  second  division  will  be  here  in  leas  than 


472  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

three  or  four  weeks.  The  fleet  on  this  Continent  will, 
1  hope,  be  commanded  by  Mr.  Duchoffaut,  and  will  be 
very  superior  to  that  of  the  enemy.  If  by  an  unlucky 
chance  the  junction  was  prevented,  the  second  division 
would  yet  certainly  come  in  the  autumn,  and  be  in  a 
situation  to  act  during  the  winter ;  but  I  have  all  reasons 
to  believe  that  they  will  be  here  in  three  weeks,  and 
you  may  depend  upon  it  that  they  will  at  all  events  be 
here  for  the  winter.  From  what  I  have  been  intrusted 
with  I  have  a  pretty  certain  ground  to  hope  that  my  let- 
ter will  produce  upon  Count  de  Guichen,  the  desired 
effect,  and  after  an  expedition  which  I  can't  trust  to 
paper,  will  be  concluded,  you  may,  I  think,  depend 
upon  his  coming  this  way  with  a  good  part  of  his  fleet. 

In  a  word,  the  French  Ministry  are  determined  to 
keep  here  during  the  war  a  land  and  naval  force  which 
will  act  on  the  Continent  till  a  pea.ce  is  concluded,  and  to 
support  it  with  all  their  power.  They  look  upon  Rhode 
Island  as  a  point  to  be  kept  for  receiving  their  fleets 
and  their  reinforcements  of  troops,  and  want  the  defence 
of  it  to  be  such  an  object  as  will  insure  the  basis  of  our 
operations. 

Before  settling  any  thing  the  French  Generals  want 
to  hear  from  their  second  division.  Don't  fear  by  any 
uneans  their  acting  rashly,  and  be  assured  that  you  may 
very  far  depend  on  their  caution  ;  but  our  wants  of  arms 
and  ammunition  have  made  me  also  very  cautious.  If 
the  States  furnish  us  with  a  sufficiency  of  the  first  arti- 
cle, and  almost  a  sufficiency  of  the  second,  which  we 
will  make  up  with  the  fleet,  then  I  am  most  strongly  of 
opinion  that  waiting  for  the  second  division  is  all  toge- 
ther wrong  and  unwarrantable. 

I  have,  however,  brought  Count  de  Rochambeau  to 
this,  viz, : — That  if  the  second  division  comes  we  must 
attack.  That  in  all  cases,  if  we  are  masters  of  the 
water,  we  may  attack ;  and  that  we  may  do  it  if  the 
Admiral  thinks  that  we  can  secure  the  passage  by  batte- 
ries, and  if  each  part  is  equal  to  the  whole  of  the  enemy. 


ADDITIONAL  COURESrONDEXCE.  473 

We  must  now  see  what  the  Admiral  has  to  say.  What 
he  wrote  about  the  harbour  of  New  York  don't  please 
me.  If  Duchoffaut  comes,  I  answer  for  any  thing  you 
wish.  To-morrow  I  will  speak  with  the  two  Gentlemen, 
so  at  least  I  hope,  and  will  let  you  know  their  answers. 

If  the  second  division  comes  in  time  we  shall  certainly 
act  and  succeed.  Then  we  will  have  our  arms,  pow- 
der, clothing,  &c. 

I  never  thought,  my  dear  General,  that  Clinton  would 
come  this  way  ;  nor  do  I  think  it  now,  but  every  body 
says  he  is  coming.  Governor  Clinton  has  it  as  a  cer- 
tainty, and  upon  his  letter  received  this  morning  they 
have  altered  the  arrangement ;  I  had  settled  to  dismiss 
the  extraordinary  militia.  I  hate  troubling  all  these 
people,  and  taking  them  away  from  their  harvest.  Gen. 
Heath  is  of  my  opinion,  but  the  intelligences  are  so 
particular,  so  authentic,  that  he  dares  not  to  neglect  to 
gather  as  many  men  as  possible.  Before  you  receive 
this  you  will  certainly  know  the  truth  of  those  reports. 

If  you  think,  my  dear  General,  that  Clinton  is  coming, 
and  if  he  disembarks  upon  Rhode  Island,  I  am  clearly 
of  opinion  that  three  or  four  thousand  Continental  troops 
and  the  militia  landing  on  his  rear,  while  the  Count 
would  sally  from  Newport,  would  ruin  the  British  army, 
and  that  the  taking  of  New  York  would  be  but  a  trifle 
after  such  a  stroke. 

In  case  you  adopt  the  measure,  I  think  that  the  com- 
munication with  the  main  is  very  important.  I 
went  yesterday  to  the  North  end  of  the  Island,  and  had 
the  works  repaired  in  such  a  way  (at  least  they  will  be 
soon  so)  as  to  keep  up  a  communication  by  Rowland's 
Ferry  for  eight  or  ten  days  after  the  enemy  will  possess 
the  Island.  I  have  also  desired  Colonel  Greene,  in  case 
they  appear,  to  run  up  the  boats  to  Slave  Ferry.  Signals 
have  been  established  from  Watch  Point  to  Connanicut ; 
all  those  arrangements  I  have  made  with  the  approbation 
and  by  the  orders  of  General  Heath. 

You  will  by  this  express  receive  a  letter  from  GenL 

jj 


474  ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

Heath,  who  applies  for,  and  most  ardently  wishes  at 
leave  of  repairing  to  his  command  in  the  grand  army. 

For  my  part,  my  dear  General,  I  will,  I  think,  wait 
your  answer  to  this,  and  want  to<  know  if  by  the  situa- 
tion of  your  arms  and  ammunition,  there  is  a  possibility 
of  your  acting  before  the  second  division  comes.  If 
from  the  answers  of  the  States  you  think  such  a  propor- 
tion of  powder  from;  the  fleet  will  be  sufficient  ;  then  I 
will  be  more  positive.  If,  however,  after  my  conversa- 
tions, I  was  to  see  that  the  second  division  mast  be 
waited  for  at  all  events,  then  I  need  not  be  waiting  for 
your  answer  to  this.  I  will,, therefore,  my  dear  General,, 

1st,  Or  arrange  with  then*  a  beginning  of  operations 
before  the  second  division  comes,  arid  then  wait  for 
your  answer  about  arms  and  ammunition,  or  the  pros- 
pects I  may  have  by  myself  to  fix  it  entirely. 

2d,  Or  fix  our  plans  for  the  moment  the  second  division? 
comes,  and  then  I  will,  as  soon  as  possible,  repair  to* 
Jiead-quarters. 

They  seem;  rather  doubtful  of  the  possibility  offending 
safely,  and  having  a  sufficiency  of  boats  to  carry  them* 
under  the  protection  of  our  Westchester  batteries,  and 
I  beg  you  will  give  me  such  a  note  about  it  as  I  might 
show  to  them. 

With  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  friendship,, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  dear  General, 

Yours,  &c. 

All  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  army  have  a  great 
desire  to  join  the  grand  army,  and  hate  the  idea  of  stay- 
ing at  Rhode  Island.- 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  47  § 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Newport,  July  the  31st,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — In  consequence  of  a  note  frora 
une  the  Admiral  came  to  last  evening,  and  defensive 
ideas  gave  way  to  offensive  plans.  Our  conversation 
was  long,  and  it  is  not  _yet  ended,  but  I  hasten  to  write 
you  a  summary  report  of  what  past  between  the  Count, 
$he  Chevalier,  and  myself. 

I  first  began,  in  my  own  name,  to  give  them^a  pretty 
•exact  account  of  the  situation  we  were  in  three  months 
ago,  of  the  supernatural  efforts  which  the  country  had 
made  for  the  purpose  of  an  immediate  co-operation.  I 
ftoldrthem  that  by  the  1st  of  January  our  army  would  be 
dismissed ;  that  the  Militia  was  only  to  serve  for  three 
months.  I  added,  that  for  the  defensive  they  were  use- 
less to  us  ;  nay,  they  were  hurtful,  and  that  I  thought  k 
necessary  to  take  New- York  before  the  ^winter.  All  that, 
my  dear  General,  was  said  insmy  own  name,  and  there- 
fore in  a  less  delicate  way  than  when  I  am  your  inter- 
preter. 

I  then  told  them  1>hat  I  was  'going  to  speak  of  you, 
^and  after  many  compliments,  assurances  of  confidence, 
4fcc.,  I  went  on  with  your  plan,  beginning  with  the  import- 
ance of  possessing  the  harbour,  and  going  on  about  the 
three  ways  which  yon  have  directed  rne  to  point  out  as 
to  be  hereafter  regulated  by  circumstances. 

As  to  the  possessing  of  the  harbour  the  Chevalier 
told  that  he  did  not  believe  his  ships  might  go  in ;  but 
that  if  superior  at  sea,  he  would  answer  by  cruising  off 
to  protect  the  landing,  the  transportation,  and  prevent 
an  evacuation  ;  indeed  to  blockade  the  harbour. 

The  French  General,  with  the  advice  of  the  Naval 
Commander  did  not  'hesitate  to  prefer  the  going  in 
transports  to  die  poiat  joii  know  o£  Both  were  of  opi- 


476  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

nion  that  nothing  could  be  undertaken  unless  we  had  a 
naval  superiority,  and  as  I  know  it  is  your  opinion  also, 
(tho'  it  is  not  mine,)  I  durst  not  insist  on  that  article. 

There  was  another  reason  which  made  me  wait  for 
the  reinforcement.  I  knew  we  had  neither  arms  nor 
powder.  I  know  we  would  be  at  least  a  long  time  to 
get  them  ;  but  as  they  did  not  think  of  making  me  the 
objection  I  put  my  assent  to  the  others  on  the  account  of 
my  private  confidence  in  their  superior  abilities ;  told 
them  that  you  also  thought  we  should  have  a  naval 
superiority,  and  added,  in  my  own  name,  that  however 
we  must,  any  how,  act  before  the  winter,  and  get  rid  of 
a  shameful  defensive. 

The  summary  of  the  arrangement  will,  I  presume,  be 
this  :  That  as  soon  as  we  hear  of  a  naval  reinforcement 
we  go  where  you  know,  and  establish  what  you  intend 
to  fix  ;  that,  if  possible,  we  get  where  I  want  you  to 
be  ;  that  immediately  the  French  will  embark  and  go 
where  you  wish  them  to  be,  or  thereabout ;  that  a  num- 
ber equal  to  the  enemy's  whole  force  be  stationed  in  that 
part ;  that  they  don't  want  there  more  than  ten  pieces  of 
our  heavy  cannon  ;  that  after  every  thing  will  be  disem- 
barked, three  weeks,  in  their  opinion,  will  do  the  business 
on  their  side  ;  that  proper  means  will  be  taken  by  sea  to 
keep  up  the  communication  and  prevent  an  evacuation  ; 
that  we  must  not  give  up  that  plan  if  we  may  begin  in 
August  or  September ;  that  fascines  and  other  apparatus 
must  be  ready  on  the  opposite  shore ;  that  they  will  take 
for  us  all  the  boats  belonging  to  the  Continent  which  will 
be  at  Providence ;  that  as  soon  as  our  clothing,  &c., 
arrive,  it  will  without  entering  any  harbour  be  sent  to 
W.  C.  or  thereabout. 

Their  superiority  at  sea,  will,  I  think,  take  place  in 
the  course  of  this  month;  they  have  two  ways  to 
depend  upon  it : — 1st,  Unless  of  an  absolute  impossi- 
bility the  second  division,  consisting  of  four  other  regi- 
ments and  the  remaining  part  of  Lauzun's,  with  the 
Alliance  and  all  other  stores,  and  with  a  strong  convoy 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  477 

of  ships  of  the  line,  will  be  here  very  soon.  When  they 
will  be  heard  of  on  the  coast,  Chevalier  de  Ternay  will, 
at  all  events,  go  out  and  meet  them.  2dly,  the  Gentle- 
man I  wrote  to  on  my  arrival  has  full  liberty  to  send  here 
reinforcements,  the  Admiral  has  already  applied  to  him, 
but  I  am  going  to  make  him  write  other  letters  in  my  way, 
and  will  send  them  to-morrow  or  the  day  after  to  Cheva- 
lier de  la  Luzerne,  whom  I  beg  you  will  immediately 
desire  to  secure  three  fast  sailing  vessels  for  the  West 
Indies. 

I  am  going  this  evening  to  fix  plans  with  Pilots,  and 
also  to  speak  of  the  entrance  of  the  harbour.  Dobs 
and  Shaw  are  here,  and  I  will  have  a  full  conversation 
with  them  and  the  Admiral,  both  for  the  entrance  of  the 
harbour  and  the  navigation  of  the  Sound.  To-morrow 
I  call,  with  as  much  secrecy  as  possible,  a  number  of 
Pilots  for  the  harbour  of  Halifax  and  River  St.  Lau- 
rence. 

Inclosed,  you  will  find  a  letter  from  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau.  He  requests  you  will  have  the  goodness  of  letting 
the  Minister  know  what  the  French  army  is  about,  as  he 
had  no  time  of  writing  to  him ;  it  is,  I  believe,  very 
important.  1st,  To  send  every  where  to  meet  the  rein- 
forcement, and  give  them  proper  directions.  2dly,  To 
have  some  vessels  ready  for  the  West  Indies. 

The  French  set  more  value  upon  Rhode  Island  than 
it  is  worth.  I  however  got  them  to  promise  that  in  case 
of  an  operation  they  will  not  leave  here  a  Garrison,  and 
that  their  Magazines  would  be  sent  to  Providence. 

You  know,  my  dear  General,  I  did  not  expect  Clinton, 
and  tho'  I  could  not  stand  alone  in  my  opinion,  I  ever 
lamented  the  calling  out  of  the  Militia.  I  am  happy  to 
inform  you  that  they  have  been  dismissed.  Nothing  can 
equal  the  spirit  with  which  they  turned  out,  and  I  did 
not  neglect  letting  the  French  know  that  they  have  done 
more  for  their  allies  than  they  would  have  done  for  the 
security  of  their  own  continental  troops  on  a  similar 
occasion. 


478  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

As  to  the  three  month  men,  the  French  General 
wants  them  to  establish  the  communication  with  the 
main  ;  but  I  will  soon  request  him  to  let  them  go  to  the 
grand  army,  and  will,  in  the  same  time,  get  from  this 
State  as  many  arms  and  powder  as  possible.  I  have 
written  to  Massachusetts  for  the  same  purpose. 

After  I  will  have  sent  the  Pilots,  and  made  calcula- 
tions with  the  Commander  of  the  Artillery  and  the  first 
Engineer  whom  the  Count  will  consult,  I  shall  draw  a 
plan  which  I  will  get  their  answer  to,  and  repair  with  it 
to  head-cjwarterfc,  In  the  meantime  I  will  receive  an- 
swers from  Boston  and  from  Governor  Greene. 

The  Admiral  cannot  send  to  us  more  than  thirty 
thousand  of  powder.  But  you  see  that  their  demands 
as  to  heavy  pieces  are  small ;  they  indeed  say  they  do 
not  want  any  on  the  Island,  and  that  their  twenty-ones 
will  be  sufficient.  All  that,  my  dear  General,  I  will  be 
more  positive  <upon  after  the  Commanders  of  Artillery 
and  Engineers  will  have  made  with  us  their  calculations, 

I  hope,  my  dear  General,  that  by  the  5th  or  6th  of 
August,  I  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  in  this  place. 

The  French  army  hate  the  idea  of  staying  here,  and 
want  to  join  you ;  they  swear  at  those  that  speak  of 
waiting  for  the  second  division ;  they  are  enraged  to  be 
blockaded  in  this  harbour.  As  to  the  dispositions  of  the 
inhabitants  and  our  troops,  and  the  dispositions  of  the 
inhabitants  and  the  Militia  for  them,  they  are  such  as  I 
may  wish.  You  would  have  been  glad  the  other  day  to 
see  two  hundred  and  fifty  of  our  drafts  that  came  on 
^Connecticut  without  provisions  or  tents,  and  who  were 
mixed  in  such  a  way  with  the  French  troops,  that  every 
French  soldier  and  officer  took  an  American  with  him 
and  divided  their  bed  and  their  supper  in  the  most 
friendly  manner. 

The  patience  and  sobriety  of  our  Militia  is  so  much 
admired  by  the  French  Officers,  that  two  days  ago  a 
French  Colonel  called  all  his  officers  together  to  desire 
them  to  take  the  good  examples  which  were  given  to  the 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  479* 

French  soldiers  by  the  American  troops.  So  far  are 
they  gone  in  their  admirations  that  they  find  a  great  deal 
to  say  in  favor  of  General  Varnum,  and  his  escort  or 
Militia  Dragoons,  who  fill  up  all  the  streets  of  Newport. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  French  discipline  is  such*,-  that 
ehiken  and  pigs  walk  between  the  tents  without  being 
disturbed,  and  that  there  is  in  the  camp  a  cornfield,  frorr* 
which  not  one  leaf  has  been  touched.  The  Tories- don't 
know  what  to  say  to  k. 

Adieu,  my  dear  General.  To-morrow,  I  hope  hav  ing 
the  pleasure  of  writing  you  another  letter,  and  am  with 
the  most  tender  friendship*,  dear  General,. 

Your  most  obedient  humble  servant,  &c. 

I  beg,  my  dear  General,  you.  will  present  my  compli- 
ments to  the  family.* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 

(ORIGINAL.)^ 

Newport,  August  the  litj,  1780i 

MY  DEAR  GENERAE, — Your  letter  to  Cbun£  de- 
Bochambeauf  mentioning  the  enemy's  embarkation.,  and 
your  future  movements  against  New- York,  a  positive- 
letter  from  Governor  Trumbull,  and  a  positive  one  from* 
General  Parsons,  have  once  more  altered  the  disposi- 
tions, and  such  of  the  Militia  as-  had  been  dismissed 
have  been  again  sent  for. 

In  consequence  of  these  expectations  my  offensive 
arrangements  have  been  entirely  cut  short,,  they  are- 
wholly  taken  in  their  preparations.  My  letter  of  yester- 
day has  been  detained  with  the  hope  that  some  intelli- 
gence might  be  added  to  it ;  but  I  will  send  it  this  morrj- 

*  The  answer  to  this  letter  appears  in  Spark's  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  7,  p.  135. 
t  Se«  Spark's  Writ,  of  Wash.  vol.  7,  p.  126. 


480  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

ing,  and  if  it  is  possible  to  obtain  from  the  Admiral  some 
hour's  conversation  with  Captains  Dobs  and  Shaw  I 
shall  to-morrow  morning  dispatch  another  express. 

The  dispositions  of  defence  are,  I  believe,  these  ;  the 
French  to  occupy  the  English  lines ;  General  Heath  to 
command  a  corps  of  militia  on  the  Tivertown  side ;  I 
to  have  his  van-guard  on  the  Island,  and  to  watch  the 
enemy's  motions  almost  all  around  the  Island,  which  is 
not  a  small  affair. 

If  the  enemy  land  I  will  try  to  oppose  it,  and  the 
French  will  come  in  columns  to  attack  them  with  fixed 
bayonets.  If  this  attack  do  not  succeed  they  will  retire 
behind  the  lines,  and  take  with  them  fifteen  hundred 
Militia,  when  with  the  few  ones  that  may  stay,  I  will 
retire  to  Butt's  Hill,  and  secure  the  communication  with 
General  Heath. 

As  you  did  not  write  to  me,  my  dear  General,  I  could 
not  know  what  you  want  me  to  do.  If  you  think  seri- 
ously of  entering  on  the  Island  of  New- York,  I  am 
extremely  sorry  to  stay  here.  If  on  the  contrary  you 
send  troops  this  way,  (which,  if  the  enemy  land,  would 
be  fatal  to  them,)  I  will  not  be  to  lament  my  being  away 
from  the  army.  I  shall  feel  very  unhappy  to  be  with 
some  Militia  while  the  Light  Infantry  is  acting  under 
you,  and  had  I  been  sent  for,  I  would  have  joined  you 
very  fast ;  but  if  you  can  take  New-York  I  will  heartily 
forget  that  I  could  have  been  there,  and  feel  nothing  but 
joy ;  if,  however,  there  was  time  enough,  I'd  beg  you 
will  send  for  me.  If  you  send  troops  this  way  I  believe 
they  may  strike  a  great  blow. 

The  wind  is  against  them,  so  that  they  won't  be  here 
before  the  day  after  to-morrow.     Adieu,  my  dear  Gene- 
ral, with  the  highest  respect  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Your's,  &c.* 

*  For  the  answer  to  the  above,  approving  the  measures  of  La  Fayette,  See  Spark'* 
Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  7,  p.  141. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE,  481 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Elizabeth  Town^  October  the  27th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — From  what  you  have  heard 
from  Dr.  Hagen  about  the  boats  when  on  your  way  to 
head-quarters,  I  don't  believe  that  you  may  have  kept 
any  hope  for  our  success.  The  boats  have  been,  it 
seems,  reduced  to  five,  and  from  the  time  when  they  were 
yet  at  the  Little  Falls  you  may  see  that  they  could  not 
be  here  at  the  appointed  hour. 

I  will  not  permit  my  self  to  reflect  on  this  moment  upon  the 
many  blunders  committed  on  that  affair  by  the  Quarter- 
General's  department.  I  was  too  certain  of  some  bril- 
liant success,  and  military  glory  is  too  much  idolized  by 
me,  not  to  be  rather  severe  on  the  occasion.  I  will 
content  myself  to  say  that  from  the  report  and  common 
agreement  of  all  the  spies  and  guides  collected  together 
by  Major  Lee,  from  the  negligence  of  the  enemy,  the 
circumstances  of  the  tide  and  a  thick  foggy  weather,  not 
one  of  those  whom  I  led  into  the  matter  had  the  least 
doubt  upon  your  success. 

The  only  advantage  I  have  got  from  it  has  been  to 
convince  myself  that  our  troops  are  particularly  fit  for 
such  an  expedition,  on  account  of  their  patience  and 
silence ;  and  that  if  the  other  business  could  be  sup- 
ported upon  a  large  scale,  I  would  answer  to  carry  it.  I 
have  written  upon  both  roads  to  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  brigade  of  the  line  that  our  expedition  was  relin- 
quished, and  that  I  would  advise  him  not  to  give  to  his 
men  the  trouble  of  going  farther.  I  have  also  requested 
him  to  speak  of  this  movement  as  if  it  had  taken  place 
on  account  of  some  intelligence  that  the  enemy  meant 
to  come  out  into  the  Jersey's  to  attack  us. 

I  have  taken  my  position  between  Elizabethtown  and 
KK 


482  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

Connecticut  Farms.  General  Clinton  has  not  the  time 
of  making  any  disposition  against  us.  To-morrow  at 
nine  or  ten  I  will  march  to  our  position  of  Crane's  Town, 
and  the  day  after  to-morrow  to  Cotawa,  unless  I  receive 
contrary  orders. 

Newark  Mountain  was  rather  too  far  to  march  it  this 
night,  and  too  near  for  to-morrow,  because  our  men  being 
in  want  of  blankets  will  like  better  to  join  their  tents 
again. 

If  your  Excellency  approves  of  this  arrangement,  I 
beg  you  will  order  our  baggage  to  wait  for  us  on  our 
position  of  Crane's  Town  ;  if  you  dislike  the  disposition 
your  orders  may  reach  us  on  the  road. 

I  beg,  my  dear  General,  you  will  please  to  communi- 
cate our  ill  success  and  disgraceful  disappointment  to 
the  Minister,  who  said  he  would  not  leave  Morris  Town 
until  he  hears  from  me. 

Had  I  any  thing  to  reproach  to  myself  on  the  occasion, 
I  would  be  inconsolable.  I  undertook  the  business 
because  I  thought  myself  equal  to  it ;  I  wish  the  people 
in  the  Quaiter  Master's  Department  had  done  the  same 
for  their  plans. 

I  am,  my  dear  General,  your's,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Light  Camp,  October  27th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  am  sorry  to  hear  from  Major 
Gibbs  that  my  letter  of  last  night  did  not  reach  you 
before  your  departure  from  head  quarters.  It  had  been 
written  at  one  o'clock,  as  soon  as  I  took  my  position  for 
the  night,  and  intrusted  to'Colonel  Ogden,  who  promised 
to  send  it  by  an  officer  acquainted  with  the  roads. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  483 

Depending  upon  your  communication  of  the  sad 
intelligence  to  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  I  did  not  send  to 
Morristovvn  where  he  was  to  wait  for  the  news  of  the 
success. 

Among  the  many  blunders  which  have  been  com- 
mitted, I  shall  extract  from  that  complete  assortment 
some  instances  ( not  for  this  glorious  occasion  that  is 
forever  lost )  but  on  any  future  one. 

You  may  remember  that  after  a  long  time  Colonel 
Pickering  assured  to  you  that  the  boats  were  in  com- 
plete readiness  whilst  they  had  no  oars, — he  afterwards 
positively  told  that  he  had  only  three  boats  with  him 
at  Camp  when  two  hours  before  I  had  seen  five  of  them 
with  my  own  eyes.  The  sending  of  those  five  boats 
two  hours  after  that  which  you  had  appointed,  you  have 
been  early  apprized  of,  but  you  don't  perhaps  know  that 
instead  of  being  at  Dod's  the  night  before  last  the  boats 
from  SufFrans  arrived  there  last  evening  about  sunset, 
to  this  report  the  man  who  received  them  eight  miles 
this  side  of  SufFrans  adds  that  they  wanted  their  double 
trees  and  spread  chains,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  lose 
about  two  hours  in  taking  those  things  from  Continental 
wagons  and  the  inhabitants  ;  when  our  affairs  will  be 
thus  managed  your  best  projects  cannot  fail  of  being 
defeated. 

Had  Mr.  Pickering  followed  the  example  of  General 
every  thing  would  have  been  here  in  proper  time 
and  proper  order,  as  was  the  artillery  from  the  Park. — 
I  confess,  my  dear  General,  that  I  cannot  reconcile  my 
feelings  to  the  idea  that  by  this  neglect  I  have  lost  a 
most  happy  opportunity,  blessed  with  all  the  little 
circumstances  which  may  insure  success.  Our  expedi- 
tion has  taken  the  most  foolish  turn  in  the  eyes  of  any 
one  who  is  unacquainted  with  this  circumstance  of  the 
boats. 

When  I  was  in  hopes  of  seeing  in  time  at  least  five  of 
them,  I  gave  up  the  watering  place  to  think  only  of 
Richmond;  but  when  I  saw  that  we  could  not  be  there 


4S4  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

before  the  break  of  the  day,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  relin-^ 
quish  an  expedition  which  on  that  footing  would  have 
occasioned  a  great  profusion  of  blood  for  little  or  no 
purpose,  but  you  will  easily  guess  what  I  have  felt  on 
the  occasion.  I  never  have  been  so  deeply  wounded  by 
any  disappointment. 

By  Mercereau  and  Colonel  Ogden,  I  hear  that  the 
enemy  are  collecting  boats  and  intend  a  forage  into  the 
Jerseys.  I  would  be  very  happy  to  know  if  you  have 
got  the  like  intelligence.  Suppose  they  were  to 
come  out  in  force  and  at  a  distance  from  us,  would  not 
this  be  an  opportunity  to  execute  your  grand  plan  ? 

I  beg  you  will  let  me  know  this  evening  if  I  am  to 
march  to-morrow  to  our  old  ground  to  Cotawa  ;  if  the 
enemy  were  likely  to  come  out,  or  if  you  thought  of  a 
certain  plan,  I  would  advise  to  keep  Major  Lee  for  some 
days,  as  in  both  cases  he  will  be  a  capital  man,  - — he  is 
a  most  charming  officer. 

Arnold  has  issued  a  second  proclamation  wherein  he 
invites  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  our  army  to  join  him, 
promising  to  them  equal  ranks  to  those  they  hold  in  the 
American  service. 

I  am  told  expresses  were  sent  to  me  to  acquaint 
me  of  the  delay  of  the  boats ;  but  excepting  Doctor 
Pagen  I  have  not  seen  one  of  them, — the  boats  have 
been  sent  to  the  two  bridges  by  Major  Gibbs,  I  had 
brought  them  up  with  me,  and  in  passing  by  them  both 
conductors  and  wagoners  have  received  the  curses  of 
every  officer  and  soldier  in  the  division.  The  men 
marched  last  night  very  fast  with  such  silence,  good 
order  and  desire  of  fighting  as  would  have  highly  pleas- 
ed you.  The  activity  and  resources  of  Major  Lee  have 
been  on  that  occasion  displayed  in  such  a  way  as  entitles 
him  to  my  eternal  esteem  and  gratitude.  I  felt  not  only 
for  me  but  for  all  the  officers  and  men  who  had  promised 
themselves  so  much  glory  on  the  occasion. 

With  the  most  tender  affection  and  high  respect  J 
have  the  honor  to  be,  my  dear  general,  yours,  &c. 


ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  485 

Colonel  Ogden  has  remained  behind  to  get  intel- 
ligences ;  so  that  being  uncertain  if  my  first  letter  has 
reached  you,  I  would  be  happy  to  know  in  the  course  of 
the  night  if  I  am  to  march  to-morrow  morning  to  the 
old  ground.* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 

*      (ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  December  4,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL,- — I  will  for  this  time  write  a 
very  short  letter  to  you  and  cannot  be  more  particular 
either  on  public  or  private  business,  until  some  few 
days  stay  in  this  city  have  enabled  me  to  get  farther 
information. 

I  have  been  greatly  disappointed  in  my  not  meeting- 
Mrs.  Washington.  I  have  been  very  angry  with  my 
bad  fate  which  led  me  into  another  road  at  the  only 
moment  when  I  could  miss  her — this  has  been  the 
more  the  case,  as  I  knew  you  was  uneasy  about  her, 
and  I  wanted  both  to  send  you  an  express  and  to  advise 
her  to  the  best  way  of  meeting  you  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  southern  news  are  expected  this  evening.  Leslie 
has  re-embarked  and  will  probably  go  to  Charleston  ; 
the  southern  members  are  pleased  to  like  my  going 
towards  their  country.  However  I  cannot  for  the  pres- 
ent be  determined,  as  I  don't  yet  know  if  the  campaign 
will  be  active,  and  if  succours  are  to  be  expected  from 
France. 

*  The  two  preceding  letters  relate  to  a  descent  upon  Staten  Island,  which  was  pro- 
jected, and  was  to  be  executed  by  La  Fayette,  who  was  now  in  command  of  a  Light 
Corps,  consisting  of  battallions,  stationed  in  advance  of  the  main  army,  and  was  anxious 
to  efiect  some  important  enterprise  before  the  campaign  should  be  brought  to  a  close  ;  but 
this  expedition,  as  well  as  an  attack  proposed  in  his  letter  of  the  30th  October,  ante  upon 
the  upper  part  of  New  York  Island,  was  rendered  impracticable  by  the  want  of  boats  and 
other  necessary  preparations.  See  Sparks'  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  7,  p.  280,  and  App.  No.  9. 


486  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

By  a  vessel  from  there  who  left  Lorient  before  the 
middle  of  October,  we  hear  that  nothing  material  had 
happened  except  the  taking  of  the  merchant  fleet.  Both 
naval  armies  were  in  port.  There  was  an  expedition  of, 
I  think,  ten  ships  of  the  line  and  five  thousand  men 
ready  to  sail — this  vessel  came  in  company  with  Jones, 
who  is  daily  expected ;  but  a  very  little  part  of  our 
clothing  will  be  on  board,  some  will  corne  on  board 
the  Serapis,  Jones,  who  mounts  the  Ariel  had  dispatches 
from  the  French  Court,  for  as  he  however  might  have 
been  detained  by  a  storm  off  the  French  coast  which 
separated  the  little  convoy.  In  the  vessel  arrived  was  a 
Mr.  Ross,  who,  I  hope  will  give  me  some  account  of  the 
clothing,  and  Baron  d' Arent,  who  got  rid  of  his  rup- 
ture, has  a  star  with  a  cross  and  a  ribbon,  and  is  upon 
very  good  terms  with  the  King  of  Prussia. 

Congress  have  debated  a  motion  about  your  being 
desired  to  go  to  the  southward,  but  have  determined 
that  you  would  better  know  than  they  do  if  it  was 
more  useful  to  go  or  to  stay.  I  am  more  than  ever  of 
this  last  opinion. 

On  my  arrival  I  found  one  of  the  salt  meat  vessels 
sold  and  the  other  to  be  sold  to  day.  I  have  spoken  on 
the  subject  to  almost  every  member  of  Congress,  who 
promised  that  they  would  take  the  best  measures  in  their 
power  to  get  these  provisions. 

Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  has  communicated  to  me  in 
the  most  confidential  way  a  Spanish  plan  against  St.  Augus- 
tine, upon  which  I  am  building  a  letter  for  the  Generals 
of  this  nation,  and  using  the  best  arguments  in  my 
power  to  engage  them  either  to  send  twelve  ships  of  the 
line  to  take  us  and  conduct  us  to  Charleston,  as  to  render 
their  operations  as  useful  as  possible  to  General  Greene. 
To-morrow  I  will  write  you  about  it.  If  I  have  time 
before  the  departure  of  the  confederacy  who  is  going  to 
the  West  Indies,  I  will  send  you  the  original,  if  not  a 
copy  of  my  letter.  This  is  entirely  confidential,  as  I  have 
not  the  Chevelier's  permission  to  mention  it. 

Adieu,  my  dear  General,  your's,  most  respectfully. 


ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE.  487 

A  letter  dated  Cadiz,  September  23d,  mentions  that 
Count  d'Estaing  commands  the  combined  fleet,  and  is 
gone  to  sea.  In  this  case  his  going  with  sixteen  ships 
could  not  be  true.  I  will  endeavour  to  ascertain  this 
matter.* 

Mr.  Carmichael  writes  that  Spain  has  sent  a  hundred 
and  thirty  thousand  dollas.  It  is  not  a  great  deal,  the 
dispositions  of  that  court  are  very  satisfactory.  Portugal 
does  every  thing  we  want,  letters  are  just  arrived  from 
St.  Domingo  but  not  desciphered. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
December  the  5th,  in  the  Evening,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — However  acquainted  I  may 
be  with  your  intentions,  I  thought,  upon  the  whole, 
that  I  should  better  wait  for  your  approbation  before  I 
present  any  opinion  of  yours  to  the  Spanish  and  French 
Generals  in  the  West  Indies.  I  will,  I  know,  lose  the 
opportunity  of  the  confederacy,  but  many  vessels  are 
going  that  way,  and  if  my  letters  meet  with  your  appro- 
bation I  shall  send  them  by  triplicates.  I  impatiently 
wait  for  your  answer. 

I  will  write  to  General  Greene  to  let  him  know  of  this 
intended  expedition,  which,  tho'  uncertain  as  all  human 
events  are,  may  be,  however,  in  a  great  measure  depend- 
ed upon. 

I  confess  that  I  don't  hope  to  prevail  upon  the  Spa- 
niards to  come  here ;  but  if  you  will,  you,  Count  de 

*  The  Light  Infantry  corps  which  La  Fayette  had  commanded  was  broken  up  when  the 
aimy  went  into  winter  quarters,  and  he  now  entertained  the  desire  of  transferring  his 
services  to  the  southern  army  under  General  Greene,  and  had  applied  to  Washington 
for  his  advice.  See  Spark*'  Writ,  of  Wash.  vol.  7,  p.  316. 


488  ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

Rochambeau,  and  Chevalier  de  Ternay,  may  try.  In 
that  case  I  wish  you  would  write  to  both  of  them.  My 
letter  will,  at  all  events,  give  some  remote  chance  of 
their  doing  what  I  wish,  and  insure  their  communicating 
with  General  Greene.  For  political  reasons  I  also  wish 
to  draw  them  into  this  correspondence. 

Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  wishes  his  packet  to  Count 
de  Rochambeau  to  be  forward  as  soon  as  possible. 

Adieu,  my  dear  General,  your's  most  respectfully 
and  affectionately.* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Philadelphia,  December  the  16th,  1780. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL,— Your  favor  of  the  8th  instant 
never  came  to  hand  before  last  night.  My  former  letters 
will  have  explained  to  you  my  sentiments  relating  to  a 
journey  southward.  I  must  heartily  thank  you,  my  dear 
General,  for  the  kind  and  friendly  letters  you  have  been 
pleased  to  send  me.  I  am  so  happy  in  your  friendship 
that  every  mark  of  your  affection  for  me  gives  me  a 
degree  of  pleasure  which  far  surpasses  all  expressions. 

As  I  have  written  to  you  before,  my  dear  General, 
there  is  an  intelligence  of  some  ships  and  troops  having 
been  put  in  readiness  at  Brest ;  there  is  a  possibility  of 
a  Spanish  officer  waiting  on  you  for  the  sake  of  a  co-ope- 
ration. We  are  also  to  expect  news  from  my  friend  the 
new  Minister  of  the  French  Navy,  and  before  they 
arrive  you  would  not  like  my  departure. 

Two  other  reasons  have  weight  with  me  ;  the  first  that 
if  the  enemy  make  this  detachment,  without  which 
nothing  material  will  happen  in  the  Southward,  and  if 

*  For  the  answer  to  this  letter,  Sea  Sparks'  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  7,  p.  322. 


ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  489 

the  intelligence  is  true  about  the  fast  recruiting  of  sh$ 
month  men,  there  is  (not  a  probability)  but  a  possibility 
of  some  thing  to  be  done  in  this  quarter.  The  second 
is,  that  for  reasons  I  will  explain  to  you  when  we  meet,  a 
visit  from  you  to  the  French  army  is  to  be  much  wished, 
and  in  this  case  you  will  be  glad  that  I  may  accompany 
you. 

Under  these  circumstances,  to  which  is  added  a  natural 
reluctance  to  part  from  you  and  this  army,  and  some 
idea  that  upon  the  whole  my  staying  will  be  more  agree- 
able to  you,  I  think,  my  dear  General,  that  unless  new 
intelligence  comes  I  will  soon  return. 

Colonel  Laurens  persists  in  refusing  to  go,  and  hopes 
Hamilton  may  be  sent,  whom  he  thinks  better  calcu- 
lated for  the  purpose  ;  but  I  don't  believe  novv  that  this 
plan  may  be  effected,  and  in  that  case  I  should  advise 
Laurens  to  accept  of  the  commission,  provided  he  is 
merely  a  messenger  and  not  an  cnvoyt  that  would  super- 
sede the  old  Doctor. 

The  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  have  passed  a  bill  for 
their  officers  which  seems  satisfactory  to  them.  Before 
I  go  I  will  still  intrigue  for  the  affair  of  filling  up  the 
battalions.  Mifflin  behaves  perfectly  well. 

Adieu,  my  dear  General,  most  affectionately  and  res-* 
pectfully,  Your's,  &c.* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Philadelphia,  March  the  2nd,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  letters  of  the  25th  and 
26th  t  both  came  yesterday  to  hand,  which  shows  that  the 

*  For  the  letter  referred  t">  in  the  commencement  of  this,  See  Sparks'  Writ,  of  Wash. 
v.  7,  p.  316,  and  see  also  the  letter  of  Washington  to  Lafayette,  Ibid,  p.  322  &339. 

t  For  these,  See  Sparks'  Writ.  Wash.  p.  430  &  439  .The  date  of  the  letter  is  there  given 
as  the  27th. 

LL 


490  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

expresses  have  not  made  great  dispatch.  I  would  have 
done  myself  the  honour  of  writing  to  your  Excellency 
had  I  not  every  minute  waited  for  intelligence  from  the 
Southward. 

Your  Excellency  remembers  that  our  shortest  calcu- 
lation on  the  arrival  of  the  troops  at  the  head  of  Elk  was 
for  the  6th  of  March  ;  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that 
they  will  be  there  this  day  or  to-morrow  early,  and 
notwithstanding  the  depth  of  the  mud,  and  the  extreme 
badness  of  the  roads,  this  march,  which  I  can  call  rapid, 
(as  for  example,  they  came  in  two  days  from  MorrisTown 
to  Princeton,)  has  been  performed  with  such  order  and 
alacrity,  that  agreeable  to  the  report  two  men  only  have 
been  left  behind  ;  and  yet  these  two  men  have  embarked 
at  Trenton  with  some  remains  of  baggage.  At  every 
place  where  the  detachment  have  halted,  they  have 
found  covering  and  wood  ready  for  them,  and  there  has 
not  been  the  least  complaint  made  to  me  from  any  inha- 
bitant. Every  third  day  they  have  drawn  their  provis- 
ions ;  the  clothing  has  also  been  distributed,  and  having 
embarked  yesterday  at  Trenton  they  passed  the  city 
about  two  o'clock  with  a  wind  which  was  extremely 
favorable.  Congress  have  given  to  their  troops  the 
advance  of  one  month's  pay  which  will  be  distributed 
at  the  head  of  Elk  in  new  emission. 

The  Artillery,  consisting  of  one  24,  six  18,  two  brass 
12,  one  8  inch  howitzer,  two  8  inch  mortars,  in  all,  12 
heavy  pieces  ;  four  6  pounders,  and  two  small  howit- 
zers, with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  ammunition,  will  be  at 
the  head  of  the  Elk  this  day  and  to-morrow,  so  that  by 
the  4th  I  hope  we  shall  be  ready  to  sail.  A  quantity  of 
medicines  and  instruments,  and  fifteen  hundred  pairs  of 
shoes  will  be  at  the  head  of  Elk  before  we  embark. 
Vessels  will  be  in  readiness  to  receive  us  with  thirty 
days  provision  on  board.  I  am  also  assured  that  we 
will  have  a  sufficient  quantity  of  boats  to  land  the  detach- 
ment, and  two  heavy  ones  will  be  added  for  the  Artil- 
lery, the  public,  and  some  of  the  private  armed  vessels 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE*  491 

in  the  Bay  have  been  ordered  to  the  head  of  Elk ;  two 
dispatch  boats  are  there,  and  four  more  have  been  asked 
for.  As  a  farther  security  to  our  subsistence,  I  have  got 
the  Minister's  permission  to  dispose  of  the  French  flour 
and  salt  meat  along  the  Bay  in  case  of  necessity. 

On  my  arrival  at  this  place  I  heard  that  M.  de  Tilly, 
the  French  Commander,  had  conferred  with  the  Virgin- 
ians, but  upon  seeing  that  nothing  could  be  done  imme- 
diately, he  was  undetermined  whether  to  stay  or  to 
return  to  Rhode  Island.  Fearing  that  our  letters  might 
miscarry,  and  wishing  to  hurry  the  preparations  of  the 
Militia,  I  complied  with  the  earnest  solicitations  of  the 
Minister  of  France  to  send  on  Colonel  Gouvion,  and 
directed  him  to  go  either  by  land  or  water  (as  the  state 
of  the  Bay  would  permit)  on  board  the  French  squadron, 
and  afterwards  to  Baron  de  Steuben's  Camp,  where  he 
may  apprise  these  Gentlemen  of  our  force,  our  inten- 
tions, and  the  time  of  our  arrival.  This  minuted  account 
I  give  to  your  Excellency  to  show  you  that  nothing  on 
our  part  has  been  wanting  for  the  success  of  the  expe- 
dition. Our  preparations  have  in  every  article  fulfilled, 
and  in  the  most  important  one,  time,  have  exceeded 
what  had  been  expected. 

Your  letter  was  sent  by  express  to  General  St.  Clair, 
who  immediately  came  to  town ;  but  nothing  having 
been  done  for  the  settling  of  the  accounts,  none  of  the 
promises  having  been  complied  with,  and  the  men  being 
much  scattered,  it  has,  (after  much  consideration,)  been 
thought  impossible  to  embark  any  number  with  us,  and 
General  St.  Clair  promises  to  make  every  exertion  for 
the  sending  of  two  or  three  hundred  in  a  few  days 
whom  however  I  am  not  to  depend  upon. 

I  am  myself  going  to  the  head  of  Elk  and  shall  arrive 
there  this  evening.  It  has  not  been  possible  for  me  to 
leave  soonei  the  City,  as  the  three  days  I  have  remained 
here  have  been  fully  employed  in  making  and  forward- 
ing preparations. 

Before  I  go  I  will  wait  on  the  Board  of  War  Navy 


ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

and  propose  the  sending  of  the  frigates  ;  but  the  Trum- 
bull  having  not  her  compliment  of  men,  and  those  of  the 
Ariel  having  mutinied  at  sea,  I  am  afraid  we  will  find 
difficulties.  The  preparations  made  at  New  York  ;  the 
Return  of  the  Amafila ;  the  remasting  of  the  Bedfort  j 
the  impossibility  Mr.  Destouches  is  under  to  give  us  any 
further  assistance  ;  the  uncertainty  of  what  Mr.  de 
Tilly  may  have  determined  before  he  had  received  your 
letter.  Such  are,  my  dear  General,  the  many  reasons 
which  from  a  pretty  certain  expedition  have  lately  made 
a  precarious  one.  Under  these  circumstances,  indeed, 
there  must  always  be  more  or  less  danger  in  going  down 
the  Bay,  and  venturing  the  low  country  about  Ports- 
mouth. Being  unacquainted  with  the  answer  you  have 
received  from  Count  de  Rochambeau  and  Mr.  Des- 
touches, I  am  Hot  able  to  judge  how  far  I  may  depend 
upon  the  same  ship  being  ordered  again  to  Chesapeake 
(in  case  before  the  reception  of  your  letter)  she  had 
thought  proper  to  sail.  Her  coming  was  not  in  conse-> 
quence  of  your  proposition ;  her  going  was  relative  to 
the  difficulties  of  an  expedition  very  different  from  ours* 
&nd  I  wish  I  might  know  if  (tho'  Mr.  Destouches  can^ 
hot  give  further  assistance,)  this  assistance  at  least  may 
be  depended  upon,  so  as  to  hope  for  the  return  of/  the 
ship  should  M.  de  Tilly  have  left  the  bay.  The  bottom 
of  the  Bedfort  is  said  to  be  damaged;  the  Amarila  was 
said  to  have  been  dismasted.  Suppose  those  circum- 
stances were  true*  they  Would  be  in  our  favour.  If  a 
detachment  was  to  go  from  New- York  to  Portsmouth, 
Westpbint  would  be  less  in  danger.  If  Cornwallis 
-continues  advancing  on,  perhaps  our  being  in  the  neigh-* 
bourhood  of  Arnold  may  be  of  service  ;  I  will,  howe- 
ver, confine  myself  literally  to  my  instructions,  and  if 
Colonel  Gouvion  writes  me  with  certainty  that  M.  de 
Tilly  is  gone  ;  if  I  am  not  led  to  suppose  he  will  return, 
I  will  march  back  the  detachment ;  for  the  present  I  am 
.going  on  because  upon  the  increasing  of  the  enemy's 
force  at  Gardner's  Bay,  you  recommended  dispatch  to 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  493 

me  ;  I  hope,  however,  that  I  will  hear  from  your  Excel- 
lency. Now  that  the  chain  is  established,  Colonel  Pick- 
ering says,  that  in  six  days  I  may  receive  your  answer 
at  the  head  of  Elk.  The  hope  of  seeing  the  French 
ship  again,  or  some  other  reason,  may  detain  me  ;  but 
your  answer  will  determine  my  movements,  and  I  can 
receive  it  by  the  8th,  which  is  about  the  time  when  it 
was  thought  we  would  arrive  at  the  head  of  Elk. 

My  expectations  are  not  great,  and  I  think  we  have 
but  few  chances  for  us.  I  shall  make  all  possible  dis- 
patch, and  listen  particularly  to  the  voice  of  prudence  ; 
however,  some  hazard  must  be  ran,  if  we  undertake 
under  these  circumstances. 

General  Duportail  having  not  left  this  place,  I  am  led 
to  hope  that  if  we  don't  go  I  may  return  in  time  for  the 
journey  to  Rhode  Island.  I  most  earnestly  beg,  my 
dear  General,  that  you  will  favor  me  with  an  immediate 
answer* 

With  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  affection, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your's,  &c. 

P.S.-^— One  of  our  transports  from  Trenton  had  got 
aground,  but  the  troops  of  her  will  still  be  in  time  for 
her  at  the  head  of  Elk.  Some  new  difficulties  have 
been  made  for  the  collecting  of  shoes,  but  I  will  try  to 
get  over  them.  From  the  extraordinary  motions  of 
Lord  Cornwailis,  whom  we  have  not  heard  of  these 
many  days,  and  from  the  movements  in  New- York,  I 
am  led  to  hope  that  I  will  hear  from  you  respecting  my 
future  conduct,  and  that  I  may  be  at  head-quarters 
before  you  think  it  prudent  to  leave  New  Windsor.* 

*  See  the  letters  of  Washington  in  Spaits'  Writ,  of  Wash.  vtol.  7,  p>  444  &  447. 


494  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Head  of  Elk,  March  the  7th,  1751. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Contrary  winds,  heavy  rains, 
disappointments  of  vessels,  and  every  inconvenience  to 
which  we  had  no  remedy,  have  been,  from  the  day  of 
my  arrival,  combined  against  our  embarkation.  I  hope, 
however,  we  will  be  on  board  to-morrow  morning,  and 
as  nothing  certain  has  been  heard  from  the  French 
ships,  no  time  will  be  lost  on  our  part  for  the  celerity  of 
the  expedition. 

The  troops  will  embark  five  miles  below  this  place, 
and  three  miles  higher  up  than  the  Point  where  General 
Howe  landed.  There  will  be  more  room  for  the 
arrangements  of  our  vessels,  and  the  shallowness  of  the 
water  insures  us  against  the  enterprise  of  any  vessel  of 
force.  In  this  situation  we  may  wait  for  intelligence 
from  our  friends.  The  State  of  Maryland  have  made 
to  me  every  offer  in  their  power.  1  will  improve  this 
opportunity  of  making  up  some  deficiencies  in  the 
Quarter-Master  and  Engineer's  Department,  of  insuring 
to  us  a  good  stock  of  provisions,  and  upon  the  intelli- 
gence received  that  Baron  de  Steubens  was  gone  with 
a  large  detachment  to  the  Southward,  I  had  hinted  the 
possibility  of  getting  some  Militia  from  the  lower  coun- 
tries, and  repairing  some  cannon  at  Baltimore  ;  but 
having  read  the  inclosed  from  the  Baron,  I  will  write 
again  to  Governor  Lee,  (as  my  letter  has  been  gone  but 
two  days,)  and  save  the  State  from  any  expence  of  that 
kind.  To  the  obtaining  of  vessels  has  been  joined  the 
difficulty  of  getting  them  up  the  river,  as  they  were 
taking  every  opportunity  to  slip  them  off.  All  the  ves- 
sels, three  excepted,  are  only  bay  craft,  and  our  Admi- 
raPs  ship  mounts  twelve  guns*  I  have  prepared  some 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  495 

kind  of  orders  for  that  fleet,  but  hope  to  be  relieved 
from  my  Naval  command  by  the  arrival  of  a  French 
frigate,  and  have,  at  all  events,  sent  for  Commodore 
Nicholson  of  Baltimore.  Mr.  McHenry  has  been  very 
active  in  accelerating  the  measures  of  his  State. 

By  a  letter  from  Colonel  Gouvion,  dated  Yucomico 
River,  I  find  that  after  many  adventures,  he  had  landed 
there  on  the  4th,  and  was  proceeding  by  land  to  his 
destination.  The  wind  is  fair  enough  to  come  up  the 
Bay,  and  hope  soon  to  hear  from  our  friends. 

The  inclosed  letter  from  the  Baron  having  first  come 
into  my  hand,  and  being  on  public  service,  as  it  was 
waited  upon  to  be  forwarded  with  dispatch,  I  took  the 
liberty  to  open  it,  but  was  very  sorry  to  have  done  it 
after  a  letter  of  the  same  date  had  came  also  to  hand ; 
both  say  the  same  thing  (at  least  in  every  material 
point,)  and  I  am  happy  to  find  that  the  Baron's  prepara- 
tions are  going  on  rapidly. 

Whatever  may  be  the  Baron's  opinion  upon  the  facil- 
ity of  taking,  sword  in  hand,  the  fortifications  of  Ports- 
mouth, I  will  not  hazard  any  thing  before  I  have  consi- 
dered the  matter  with  my  own  eyes.  Arnold  had  so 
much  time  to  prepare,  and  plays  SQ  deep  a  game  ; 
nature  has  made  the  position  so  respectable,  and  some 
of  the  troops  under  his  orders  have  been  in  so  many 
actions  that  I  don't  flatter  myself  to  succeed  so  easily 
as  it  may  be  thought.  The  prospect  of  preserving 
Naval  superiority  must,  I  think,  decide  if  we  are  to  save 
bloodshed  by  regular  approaches,  or  to  risk  our  men 
into  the  dangers  of  an  assault  ;  but  I  would  like  to 
destroy  the  works  in  some  measure  before  we  attempt 
to  storm  them.  A  conversation  with  the  Baron,  with 
Colonel  Gouvion,  and  some  other  officers,  joined  to 
what  I  can  see  myself,  will  better  fix  my  mind  on  the 
matter  than  it  can  be  at  present.  When  I  left  Philadel- 
phia General  Wayne  was  not  far  from  hoping  he  could 
soon  collect  a  thousand  men  ;  but  I  am  not  so  sanguine 
in  my  expectations  ;  I  am,  however,  trying  to  prepare 


496  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

matters  foi  this  number  of  m.en,  but  I  think  that  a  suffi- 
ciency of  vessels,  (unless  ours  are  sent  back,)  will  not  be 
obtained  in  a  few  days.  Let  General  Wayne  arrive  in 
lime  or  not,  when  he  comes  under  my  directions  I  wish 
to  know  if  in  case  we  succeed,  he  must  be  sent  to  Genl. 
Greene.  Supposing  he  is  to  go  there,  would  your  Excel- 
lency think  of  selecting  some  riflemen  for  the  grand 
army  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  I  heard  you  once  mention- 
ing this  matter.  The  State  of  Virginia,  I  am  told,  finds 
difficulties  in  the  keeping  of  prisoners.  Suppose  some- 
thing of  the  kind  was  stated  to  me,  am  I  to  alter  any 
thing  in  what  you  said  to  me  on  the  subject  ? 

I  am  in  a  great  hurry  to  go,  my  dear  General;  but 
let  us  succeed  or  fall  in  the  object  we  have  in  view,  I 
shan't  be  less  hurried  to  return  with  the  detachment  to 
head-quarters,  where  I  hope  to  be  again  as  soon  as  you 
may  possibly  expect.  I  beg  you  will  present  my  res- 
pects to  Mrs.  Washington,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton,  and  com- 
pliments to  the  family.  I  have  received  Mr.  Washing- 
ton's answer,  he  is  waiting  for  me  at  the  Baron's 
quarters. 

With  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  affection  I 
have  the  honor  to  be,  your's,  &e.* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Off  Turkey  Point,  March  the  9th. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Commodore  Nicholson  has 
joined  us  sooner  than  I  expected ;  he  answers  to  con- 
duct the  detachment  to  Annapolis  without  the  least 
danger,  there  he  will  wait  for  intelligence  from  me,  but 

*  See  Washington's  letter  in  Sparks'  Writ,  in  Wash,  vol.  8,  p.  449. 


ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  497 

says  that  if  the  French  fleet  are  below  he  might  go  with 
safety  (if  not  for  the  vessels  at  least  for  the  troops)  to  the 
point  of  our  destination.  Nicholson  will  be  very  useful 
to  the  French  fleet  as  he  knows  well  the  bay. 

I  will  be  at  Hampton  to-morrow  night  or  the  day 
after,  and  three  days  after  my  arrival,  if  the  French 
(whose  arrival  has  not  been  heard  of)  consent  to  send  a 
frigate,  the  detachment  may  come  in  two  days  from 
Annapolis. 

Most  respectfully,  my  dear  General,  your's  &c. 

P.  S. — I  have  written  to  the  State  of  Maryland  to  tell 
them  we  don't  want  any  of  their  Militia,  I  have  left  to 
the  Navy  Board  to  judge  of  the  propriety  to  send  out 
the  Ariel  adding  that  it  was  no  more  essential, 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 

(ORIGINAL.) 

York,  March  15th,  1781. 

My  DEAR  GENERAL,— The  number  of  small  frigates 
and  privateers  that  are  in  the  bay,  made  it  impossible 
for  me  to  carry  the  detachment  farther  down  than  An- 
napolis, and  I  have  requested  the  Governor  of  Maryland 
as  well  as  the  principal  officers  of  the  detachmentj 
to  give  out  that  we  are  going  to  join  General  Greene  ; 
but  the  object  of  the  expedition  is  so  perfectly  well 
known  every  where,  that  our  sole  dependence  to  keep 
Arnold  must  be  upon  the  apprehension  he  has  of  a 
French  fleet  being  cruizing  off  the  capes. 

For  my  part,  I  came  in  a  barge  from  Annapolis,  and 
very  luckily  escaped  the  dangers  that  were  in  the  way. 
Colonel  Harrison  will  have  given  to  your  Excellency  a 
minute  detail  of  the  reasons  which  have  prompted  me  to 
this  measure.  I  have  taken  his  advice  on  the  matter, 
and  have  no  doubt  but  that  your  Excellency  (consider- 

MM 


498  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

ing  the  probability  that  no  frigate  would  have  been  sent) 
will  approve  of  the  step  I  have  taken  to  forward  as  much 
as  possible  both  the  advantage  of  the  expedition  and  the 
honor  of  the  American  arms. 

On  my  arrival,  (yesterday  afternoon)  I  have  found 
that  Baron  de  Stuben  had  been  very  active  in  making 
preparations,  and  agreeable  to  what  he  tells  me,  we 
shall  have  five  thousand  militia  ready  to  operate.  This, 
with  the  Continental  detachment,  is  equal  to  the  busi- 
ness, and  we  might  very  well  do  without  any  land  force 
from  Newport. 

By  papers  found  in  the  baggage  of  a  British  officer, 
(taken  in  a  boat)  it  seems  that  General  Gregory  had  a 
correspondence  with  the  enemy.  The  Baron  has  sus- 
pended him,  but  he  is  still  with  the  troops. 

Arnold  is  so  well  acquainted  with  the  coming  of  the 
detachment,  and  his  object  is  so  well  known,  that,  as  I 
said  before,  our  only  chance  to  keep  him  must  be  the 
idea  of  a  French  fleet  being  off  the  capes  ;  he  is  fortify- 
ing at  Portsmouth,  and  trying  to  get  provisions.  There 
has  been  some  trifling  skirmishes  with  the  militia. 

To  my  great  disappointment  the  French^fleet  have 
not  yet  appeared.  If  the  project  has  not  been  given  up 
they  must  be  expected  every  minute ;  they  had  double 
the  time  which  they  wanted,  and  such  winds  as  ought 
have  brought  them  in  four  days. 

I  wanted  to  hold  up  the  idea  of  my  going  to  the  South- 
ward ;  but  the  Baron  says  that  if  the  detachment  is  not 
announced,  the  militia  will  desert.  He  wanted  me  to 
take  the  command  immediately,  but  I  thought  it  more 
polite  not  to  do  it  until  the  detachment  arrives  or  opera- 
tions are  begun. 

In  your  first  letter  to  the  Baron,  I  wish  my  dear  Gen- 
eral, you  will  write  to  him  that  I  have  been  much 
satisfied  with  his  preparations.  I  want  to  please  him, 
and  harmony  shall  be  my  first  object.  As  in  all  cases, 
(even  this  of  my  going  to  the  Southward  and  coming 
here  to  make  arrangements  with  the  Baron)  I  would 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  499 

Reconnoitre  the  enemies  ;  I  will  take  an  opportunity  of 
doing  it  as  soon  as  possible.  They  have  not  as  yet 
been  reconnoitred  by  the  Baron,  and  I  think  it  theiefore 
more  necessary  for  me  to  see  with  my  own  eyes. 

As  I  have  just  arrived,  my  dear  General,  I  cannot  give 
you  a  very  exact  account  of  matters. 

This  letter  I  send  by  duplicate,  and  have  the  honor  to 
be  with  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  affection, 
yours,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Elk,  April  the  10th,  17S1. 

DEAR  GENERAL, — By  my  letter  of  the  8th  your  Ex- 
cellency will  have  known  of  my  arrival  at  this  place, 
and  the  preparations  I  was  making  to  proceed  South- 
ward. I  took  at  the  same  time  the  liberty  to  inform 
you  that  the  great  want  of  money,  baggage,  clothing, 
under  which  both  officers  and  men  are  suffering,  arid 
the  hope  they  had  of  being  furnished  with  a  part  of 
these  articles  from  their  States,  would  render  it  very 
inconvenient  for  the  troops  to  proceed  immediately  by 
land  ;  they  begin  to  be  sensible  of  the  reason  which 
detains  them  here,  aad  are  uneasy  about  it,  as  they  are 
so  unprovided  for  the  journey.  I  have,  however,  hurried 
on  preparations,  and  will  be  able  to  set  off  to-morrow 
morning.  The  circumstances  of  my  being  ready  sooner 
than  I  expected,  and  a  letter  from  the  Governor  of  Mary- 
land telling  that  six  ships,  whom  I  take  to  be  plundering 
vessels,  were  coming  up  the  Potomac,  induces  me  not  to 
wait  for  your  Excellency's  answer.  Not  that  I  pretend  to 
defend  the  towns  of  Alexandria,  Baltimore  and  Anna- 
polis, at  a  time,  or  to  stop  the  depredations  of  the 
enemy's  parties  in  a  country  where  their  naval  superi- 


£00  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

ority  renders  it  impossible ;  but  because  I  don't  think 
any  consideration  must  delay  the  execution  of  superior 
orders,  and  because,  if  the  corps  was  not  sent  to  South* 
ward  they  would  with  alacrity  march  back  thirty  of 
forty  miles  more  to  rejoin  the  grand  army. 

Having  received  no  particulars  of  your  Excellency's 
journey  to  Rhode  Island,  but  by  the  paper,  a  letter  from 
you  to  Mr.  Lund  Washington,  and  private  letters  from 
some  friends,  I  cannot  know  what  change  has  taken 
place  in  your  plans,  and  am  not  able  to  account  for  the 
inactivity  which  you  foresee  for  the  grand  army.  Let-* 
ters  from  Ministers,  letters  from  my  friends,  intelligences 
from  other  quarters,  every  thing  was  combined  to  flatter 
me  with  the  hope  that  our  grand  and  decisive  object 
would  be  in  contemplation*  I  then  was  not  displeased 
with  the  dispositions  of  the  enemy  that  weakened  that 
place.  It  is  probable  that  your  Excellency's  plans  have 
changed,  and  you  intend  to  prosecute  the  war  to  the 
Southward. 

I  had  yesterday  the  pleasure  of  dining  on  board  the 
Hermione,  and  left  her  under  sail  to  go  to  Rhode  Island, 
where  she  will  probably  be  the  day  after  to-morrow* 
Mr.  Delatouche,  uncle  to  captain  Latouche,  will,  it  is 
said,  command  the  squadron  of  the  second  division.  I 
Was  conversing  with  his  nephew,  on  whom  he  has  an 
entire  confidence  on  the  expedition  against  New  York, 
and  he  assured  me  that  his  Uncle's  plan  would  certainly 
be  to  take  possession  of  the  harbour,  and  send  a  force 
up  the  North  River,  which  you  know  is  entirely  the 
thing  that  you  wanted  M.  de  Vernay  to  do. 

Mr.  Delatouche  having  confidentially  told  me  that  he 
had  a  great  influence  over  Mr.  Destouches,  I  observed 
to  him  how  important  it  was  for  the  common  cause  that 
the  French  fleet  might  have  the  greatest  possible  activity* 
We  were  also  conversing  of  the  difficulties  we  laboured 
under  for  transportation,  and  he  told  me  that  the  next 
day  after  his  arrival  at  Rhode  Island,  unless  such  obsta- 
cles occurred  as  he  could  not  foresee,  Mr.  Destouches 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  601 

*vvould  make  you  an  offer  of  the  ship  1'Eveille,  and  the 
four  frigates  to  carry  twelve  hundred  men  to  any  part  of 
continent  you  might  think  proper.  Those  ships  are  too 
strong  to  be  afraid  of  frigates,  and  too  fast  sailers  to  be 
in  the  least  concerned  by  the  fear  of  a  squadron. 
Thinking  that  (particularly  as  Lord  Cornwallis  has 
retreated)  our  march  would  take  us  forty  days,  where 
desertion  and  sickness,  occasioned  by  want  of  shoes 
and  every  other  necessary,  as  well  as  by  the  heat  of  the 
season,  would  much  reduce  our  numbers,  and  that  these 
ships,  with  the  addition  of  the  two  frigates  at  Philadel- 
phia, armed  en  flute,  \vould  in  sailing  on  the  4th  or  5th  of 
May,  carry  1500  men  to  Wilmington,  Georgetown,  or 
any  place  in  the  rear  of  Lord  Cornwallis  or  the  neigh- 
borhood of  General  Greene,  I  thought  it  my  duty  to 
encourage  this  idea,  which  would  bring  us  to  the  point 
of  operations  sooner  than  we  could  arrive  by  land.  It 
would  also  give  you  the  time  of  forming  at  Morristown 
or  Trenton,  a  detachment  well  provided,  agreeably  to 
the  project  you  had  in  contemplation  after  the  return  of 
this  corps.  The  appointment  of  officers  could  be  made 
without  affecting  the  delicacy  of  the  regimental  officers, 
nor  the  honor  of  those  already  employed.  While  we 
would  be  operating,  Mr.  Destouches  might  keep  cruizers 
off  Charleston.  These  ideas,  my  dear  General,  are 
only  thrown  out  in  consequence  of  the  freedom  you  have 
often  ordered  me  to  take.  What  Mr.  Destouches  may 
do  is  uncertain,  and  I  did  not  think  myself  authorised  to 
express  to  him  the  least  wish  on  that  head.  It  was  my 
duty  to  relate  our  difficulties  to  you,  and  the  chances  I 
foresaw  to  see  them  relieved  in  some  measure  ;  but 
unless  the  bad  weather,  of  which  there  is  now  a  prospect, 
makes  it  impossible,  I  will  be  to-morrow  at  the  ferry  at 
the  Susquehannah. 

You  may  have  known  from  Mr.  de  La  Luzerne,  that 
two  millions  and  a  half  had  been  given  to  Mr.  Franklin, 
-and  that  Marquis  de  Castries  and  Count  de  Vergennes, 
were  trying  to  obtain  a  sum  more  adequate  to  our  wants. 


502  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

This,  however,  the  Minister  of  France  has  requested 
me  not  to  mention,  as  it  was  as  yet  an  uncertainty,  and 
would  perhaps  give  ill-grounded  hopes,  destructive  of 
the  internal  efforts  we  ought  to  make.  I  am  told  that 
just  before  the  departure  of  Mr.  Dela  Peyrouse,  some 
dispatches  were  sent  to  Brest ;  but  do  not  think  they 
contain  any  thing  relating  to  our  operations,  as  Marquis 
de  Castries  writes  me  that  the  determination  of  the 
Council  upon  our  letters  will  be  sent  by  the  ships  who  is 
to  convoy  the  expected  vessels. 

I  am  very  sorry  I  have  not  seen  the  Aid  de  Camp  who 
had  a  verbal  message  from  General  Greene.  Inclosed 
I  send  to  your  Excellency  the  letter  I  have  received 
on  the  occasion.  Perhaps,  did  he  mean  to  propose 
an  expedition  towards  Cape-fear  or  Georgetown,  which 
might  be  made  with  the  light  squadron  above  mentioned. 
An  additional  circumstance  is,  that  1'EveilU  will  now 
be  commanded  by  Mr.  de  Lombard,  captain  Latouche's 
uncle,  who  is  entirely  under  that  Gentleman's  influence. 

I  write  to  the  board  of  war  to  get  some  shoes  and 
other  parts  of  clothing.  I  will  this  morning  speak  to  the 
commanding  officers  of  battalions  on  our  intended  jour- 
ney ;  but  have  not  yet  said  any  thing  to  Colonel  Gimat 
and  Major  Galvan,  because  it  is  possible  that  new  cir- 
cumstances may  engage  you  to  change  your  dispositions. 
Going  by  water,  if  possible,  would  level  most  all  diffi- 
culties ;  but  if  I  don't  hear  from  you,  I  will  always 
proceed  on.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  yours  &c.* 

*  See  Washington's  Letters  of  21st  of  March  and  5th  and  6th  of  April.  Sparks'  Writ, 
<of  Wash,  volume  7.  pp.  449  and  463,  8469.  See  also^-Spavks'  Writ,  of  Wash.  vol.  8» 
Appendix  N».  1. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  503 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Susquehannah  ferry  April  13th,17Sl. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  received  your  Excellency's 
letter  relating  to  Colonel  Gouvion.  It  would  have  been 
very  agreable  to  me  to  keep  this  officer,  your  orders  have 
been  sent  to  Philadelphia  where  he  is  for  the  present. 
However  distant  I  may  be  from  the  scene,  I  am.  happy 
to  find  that  your  Excellency  hopes  to  undertake  the  grand 
object  we  have  had  in  contemplation. 

By  a  letter  just  received  from  the  board  of  War,  it 
seems  that  representations  of  wants  have  been  made 
which  they  have  mistaken  for  objections  from  me  to  our 
journey  southward.  I  have  said  to  some  officers  that 
our  proximity  to  the  southern  states  was  the  reason 
which  had  induced  your  Excellency  to  send  this  detach- 
ment, but  I  hope  I  need  not  assure  you  that  I  never 
thought  of  intimating  the  least  idea  of  alteration  to  your 
Excellency's  projects,  but  such  as  you  would  think  of 
making  yourself  after  your  own  ideas  and  intelligences. 
Perhaps  my  letter  to  the  board  of  War  may  appear  disre- 
spectful or  impolite,  but  nothing  could  stop  me  in  an 
instance  where  it  might  be  suspected  I  objected  to  j^our 
plans,  or  even  differed  in  opinion.  You  know  me  too 
perfectly  not  to  think  an  explanation  useless. 

It  is  confidently  reported  that  the  second  division  is 
arrived  in  the  capes  of  Delaware,  consisting  of  nine  sail 
of  the  line,  this  was  the  number  mentioned  to  me  by  the 
Marquis  de  Castries  to  be  in  harbour,  your  Excellency 
would  in  that  case  have  a  brilliant  Campaign  to  the  north- 
ward. 

With  the  highest  and  most  affectionate  respect 

Yours  &c.» 

*  Sec  Letters  of  Wash,  of  the  llth  April.    Sparks'  Writ  of  Wash.  vol.  &,  p.  11. 


504  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Susquehannab  ferry  April  13th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL — Had  your  Excellency's  answer 
to  my  letter  of  the  8th,  been  forwarded  with  an  equal 
celerity  that  your  favor  of  the  6th,  I  would  have  received 
it  before  this  time,  but  whatever  change  my  new  situa- 
tion could  make  in  your  Excellency's  dispositions,  I 
thought  it  rny  duty  in  the  mean  while  to  obey  the 
positive  orders  I  had  received,  the  Troops  are  now 
crossing  the  ferry  and  will  with  all  possible  speed 
proceed  to  Richmond. 

By  a  letter  received  from  General  Green  I  find  that 
he  is  strongly  of  opinion  that  I  must  go  to  the  south- 
ward, his  intention  si  to  carry  the  seat  of  war  into  South 
Carolina,  there  by  preventing  a  junction  between  Arnold 
and  Cornwallis,  he  gives  me  many  excllent  reasons  to 
justify  the  movement  and  requests  me  to  make  to  Rich- 
mond, and  they  will,  if  possible,  increase  my  zeal  to. 
execute  your  Excellency's  orders. 

General  Green's  opinion  is  that  Lord  Cornwallis  will 
fall  down  towords  Wilmington,  his  own  project  is  to 
carry  the  war  into  South  Carolina.  Under  these  circum- 
stances a  corps  of  Light  Infantry  embarked  at  Philadel- 
phia on  board  a  light  squadron  might  have  been  upon 
the  seat  of  war  in  a  very  short  passage. 

I  cannot  help  fearing,  my  dear  General,  that  our  cam- 
paign will  take  a  defensive  turn  which  is  far  from 
answering  our  first  plans  and  expectations.  Major  Me 
Pherson  is  with  me  as  a  volunteer,  that  officer  has  most 
zealously  employed  himself  and  has  been  most  danger- 
ously exposed  in  the  discovery  of  a  plot  made  to  furnish 
the  enemy  with  provisions,  he  has  managed  this  matter 
with  infinite  address,  being  for  two  days  and  one  night 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  503 

with  six  soldiers  who,  as  well  as  himself,  put  on  the  air 
of  British,  and,  in  company  with  a  spy  who  thought 
them  to  be  enemy  and  by  a  most  violent  gale  of  wind, 
crossed  the  bay  in  a  small  boat,  by  which  means  he  was 
made  sensible  that  a  trade  of  flour  is  carried  with  the 
enemy  from  the  western  shore  of  Maryland,  and  saved  a 
magazine  of  800  barrells  of  continental  flour  which  would 
otherwise  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  In 
case  we  proceed  southerly  perhaps  will  it  be  possible  for 
General  Green  to  give  Major  McPherson  a  command 
in  some  detachment ;  I  would  be  happy  if  he  was 
recommended  to  him  by  your  Excellency.  My  deter- 
mination being  to  go  on  with  rapidity,  unless  I  am 
recalled,  your  Excellency  may  easily  judge  of  my  move- 
ments from  the  answer  I  will  probably  receive  in  a  few 
hours.  Was  I  to  as'sure  your  Excellency  that  this  journey 
is  perfectly  agreable  to  the  Troops,  I  would  not  use  that 
candor  which  you  have  so  much  right  to  expect,  but  their 
zeal  and  discipline  insure  their  readiness  to  obey. — I 
shall  do  my  utmost  to  prevent  desertion,  and  unless  I 
was  recalled,  I  shall  proceed  with  celerity.  But  I  beg 
your  Excellency  to  remember  that  experience  has  often 
taught  us  how  much  reduced  has  ever  been  the  number 
of  our  troops  from  the  time  of  their  departure  to  that  of 
their  arrival  at  the  Southern  army. 

With  the  highest  and  most  affectionate  respect, 

Yours  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Susquehannah  ferry  April  14th,  17S1. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL — Your  Excellency's  letter  of  the 
llth,  has  overtaken  me  at  this  place,  and  having  given 
to  you  an  account  of  every  measure  I  thought  proper  to 

NN 


506  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

TO  MAJOR  GENERAL  GREENE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Hanover  Court  House,  April  28th,  1781. 

SIR,' — Having  received  intelligence  that  General 
Phillips'  army  were  preparing  at  Portsmouth,  for 
offensive  operations.  I  left  at  Baltimore  every  thing 
that  could  impede  our  march,  to  follow  us  under  a 
proper  escort,  and  with  about  a  thousand  men,  officers 
included  ;  hastened  towards  Richmond  which  I  appre- 
hended would  be  a  principal  object  with  the  enemy. 

Being  on  our  way,  I  have  received  successive  accounts 
of  their  movements.  On  the  21st,  the  British  troops, 
commanded  by  their  Generals,  Philips  and  Arnold, 
landed  at  City  Point  on  the  south  side  of  James  River. 
A  thousand  militia  under  Maj.  General  Caroude  Stuben 
and  General  Muhlenberg,  were  posted  at  Blandford  to 
oppose  them,  and  on  the  25th  they  had  an  engagement 
with  the  enemy  ;  the  militia  behaved  very  gallantly,  and 
our  loss,  it  is  said,  is  about  twenty  killed  and  wounded. 
The  same  day,  the  enemy  whose  force  it  is  reported  to 
be  near  2500  regular  troops,  marched  into  Petersburgi 
Yesterday  they  moved  to  Osburn's,  about  thirteen  miles 
from  Richmond,  and  after  a  skirmish  with  a  coips  of 
militia,  destroyed  some  vessels  that  had  been  collected 
there,  but  have  not  yet  attempted  to  cross  the  river. 
Baron  de  Stuben^  is  at  the  same  side,  and  has  removed 
to  Falling  Creek  Church. 

The  Continental  detachment  will  in  a  few  hours 
arrive  at  this  place,  20  miles  from  Richmond.  The 
enemy  are  more  than  double  our  force  in  regular  troops 
and  their  command  of  the  waters  gives  them  great 
advantages. 

With  the  highest  respect,  I  have  the  honor  to  be 
yours,  &c. 


ADDITIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  507 

TO  GENERAL  GREENE, 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  on  Pamunkey  River,  May  3d,  1781, 

,-^-!  had  lately  the  honor  to  inform  you  of  the 
enemy's  movements  towards  Richmond,  and  the  forced 
marches  I  was  making  to  its  defence.  The  detachment 
arrived  on  the  29th  ;  the  British  army  was  thirteen  miles 
distant  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Petersbu  rg,  Ches- 
terfield Court  House,  and  part  of  our  vessels  had  fallen 
into  their  hands.  Our  regular  force  consisted  of  900 
men,  rank  and  file  ;  that  of  the  enemy,  of  2,300,  at  the 
lowest  estimate. 

The  command  of  the  water,  and  such  a  superiority 
of  regular  troops,  gave  them  possession  of  our  shore* 
There  was  no  crossing  for  us,  but  under  a  circuit  of 
fifteen  miles,  and  from  the  number  and  size  of  their 
boats,  their  passage  over  the  river  was  six  times  quicker 
than  ours. 

Richmond  being  their  main  object.  I  determined  to 
defend  this  capital,  where  a  quantity  of  public  stores 
and  tobacco  was  contained.  General  Nelson  was  there, 
with  a  corps  of  militia,  and  Generals  Stuben  and 
Muhlenberg,  higher  up  on  the  other  side.  The  same 
evening,  we  were  by  summons  from  General  Philips, 
made  accountable  for  the  public  stores  on  board  vessels 
near  the  town,  (which  he  declared)  should  certainly  fall 
into  his  hands.  Next  morning  the  enemy  moved  to 
Manchester,  opposite  Richmond,  where  they  burnt  the 
ware-houses.  Six  hundred  men  ventured  on  this  side, 
but  were  timely  recalled,  and  being  charged  by  a  few 
dragoons  of  Major  Nelson,  flew  into  their. boats  with 
precipitation. 

Knowing   General  Phillip's  intention  against  Rich 
mond,   (orders  for  attack  had  been   already  given)  I 


508  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

directed  Baron  de  Stuben  to  join  us,  and  collected  our 
force  to  receive  the  enemy,  but  the  same  night  they 
retreated  to  Osburn's,  from  thence  to  the  neck  of  land 
formed  by  James  River  and  Appamatox,  where  they 
have  re-embarked.  Col.  Pleasant's  and  Good's  battal- 
lions  of  militia,  were  sent  on  each  side  of  the  river  and 
gave  annoyance  to  their  troops  and  boats.  The  enemy 
have  lost  some  men  killed,  prisoners  and  deserters. 
Since  the  British  army  landed  at  City  Point,  (some  flour 
excepted  at  the  Court-house)  no  public  property  h-as 
been  destroyed.  Yours  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  near  Bottom's  Creek,  May  4th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL,— I  request  you  will  receive  my 
affectionate  acknowledgements  for  your  kind  letters. 
Every  mark  of  friendship  I  receive  from  you  adds  to  my 
happiness,  as  I  love  you  with  all  the  sincerity  and 
warmth  of  my  heart,  and  the  sentiment  I  feel  for  you 
goes  to  the  very  extent  of  my  affections. 

Inclosed  I  send  you,  my  dear  General,  two  copies  of 
letters  to  General  Greene,  which  I  also  sent  to  Congress 
for  their  information.  You  will  also  find  copies  of  the 
strange  letters  I  have  received  from  General  Phillips, 
and  the  answers  which,  if  he  does  not  behave  better, 
will  break  off  our  correspondence. 

The  leaving  of  my  artillery  appears  a  strange  whim, 
but  had  I  waited  for  it  Richmond  was  lost,  and  Major 
Galvan,  who  has  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost,  cannot 
be  with  us  under  two  days,  as  he  never  could  obtain  or 
seize  horses  for  the  artillery  and  ammunition  waggons. 
It  is  not  without  trouble  I  have  made  this  rapid  march. 
'General  Phillips  has  expressed  to  an  officer  on  flag,  the 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  509 

astonishment  he  felt  at  our  celerity,  and  when  on  the 
30th,  as  he  was  going  to  give  the  signal  to  attack,  he 
reconnoitred  our  position,  Mr.  Osburn,  who  was  with 
him,  says  that  he  flew  into  a  violent  passion  and  swore 
vengeance  against  me  and  the  corps  I  had  brought 
with  me. 

I  am,  however,  uneasy,  my  dear  General,  and  do  not 
know  what  the  public  will  think  of  our  conduct.  I 
cannot  say  in  any  official  letter  that  no  boats,  no 
waggons,  no  intelligence,  not  one  spy  could  be  obtained  ; 
that  if  once  I  had  been  manoeuvring  with  Phillips  he 
had  every  advantage  over  me ;  that  a  defeat  would 
have  scattered  the  militia,  lost  the  few  arms  we  have, 
arid  knocked  down  this  handful  of  Continental  troops. 
Great  deal  of  mischief  had  been  already  done.  I  did 
not  know  but  what  the  enemy  meant  to  establish  a  post. 
Under  these  circumstances  I  thought  it  better  to  fight 
on  none  but  my  own  grounds  and  to  defeat  the  main  and 
most  valuable  object  of  the  enemy.  Had  I  gone  on  the 
other  side,  the  enemy  would  have  given  me  die  slip  and 
taken  Richmond,  leaving  nothing  to  me,  but  the  reputa- 
tion of  a  rash  unexperienced  young  man.  Our  stores 
could  not  be  removed. 

No  orders  from  General  Greene  have  as  yet  come  to 
me.  I  cannot  conceive  the  reason  of  his  delay  in 
answering  my  letters.  In  the  meanwhile,  Phillips  is 
my  object,  and  if  with  a  thousand  men  lean  be  opposed 
to  three  thousand  in  this  State,  I  think  I  am  useful  to 
General  Greene.  In  a  former  letter  he  tells  me  that  his 
object  is  to  divide  the  enemy,  and  having  no  orders  I 
must  be  regulated  by  his  opinion. 

The  enemy  are  gone  down  the  river.  I  have  detached 
some  militia  to  Hoods  where  I  mean  to  make  a  fort. 
Colonel  Hennis,  with  another  corps  of  militia,  is  gone 
towards  Williamsburg.  His  orders  are  in  case  the 
enemy  land  there,  to  annoy  them,  and  in  case  they  mean 
to  establish  a  post,  he  is  to  disturb  them  until  I  arrive. 
This  position  is  16  miles  from  Richmond,  42  from  Will- 


510  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

iamsburg,  60  from  Fredericksburg.  I  have  sent  an 
officer  at  Point  Comfort,  and  established  a  chain  of 
expresses  to  know  if  they  appear  to  turn  towards 
Potomac.  Should  it  be  the  case,  Fredericksburg  will 
have  my  attention,  having  missed  Mr.  Hunter's  works 
at  Fredericksburg  mast  be  their  next  object  as  they  are 
the  only  support  to  our  operations  in  the  southward. 
Your  first  letters,  my  dear  General,  will  perhaps  tell  me 
something  more  about  your  coming  this  way.  How 
happy  I  should  be  to  see  you,  I  hope  I  need  not  express. 
As  you  are  pleased  to  give  me  the  choice,  I  shall  frankly 
tell  my  wishes.  If  you  co-operate  with  the  French 
against  the  place,  you  know  I  wish  to  be  at  head 
quarters.  If  something  is  co-operated  in  Virginia,  I  will 
find  myself  very  happily  situated  for  the  present.  In 
case  my  detachment  remains  in  this  State  I  wish  not  to 
leave  it,  as  I  have  a  separate  and  active  command, 
though  it  does  not  promise  great  glory  ;  but  as  you  gave 
me  leave  to  do  it,  I  shall  in  a  few  days  write  to  you 
more  particularly  on  my  private  concerns.  It  is  not 
only  on  account  of  my  own  situation  that  I  wish  the 
French  fleet  may  come  into  the  bay..  Should  they  come 
even  without  troops,  it  is  ten  to  one  that  they  will  block 
up  Phillips  in  some  rivers,  and  then  I  answer  he  is 
ruined.  Had  I  but  ships,  my  situation  would  be  the 
most  agreeable  in  the  world.  Adieu  my  dear  General, 
you  will  make  me  happy  to  write  me  sometimes.  With 
the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  affection,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be,  yours,  &c.* 

*  See  Letters  of  Wash,  of  31  May — See  Sparks'  Writ.,  v.  8.,  p.  60. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE,  511 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON, 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Richmond,  May  the  8th,  1781, 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL,  — There  is  no  fighting  here, 
unless  you  have  a  naval  superiority,  or  an  army 
mounted  upon  race-horses.  Phillips'  plan  against  Rich- 
mond has  been  defeated  ;  he  was  going  towards 
Portsmouth,  and  I  thought  it  should  be  enough  for  me  to 
oppose  him  at  some  principal  points  in  this  State.  But 
now  it  appears  I  will  have  business  to  transact  with  two 
armies,  and  this  is  rather  too  much. 

By  letters  from  North  Carolina,  I  find  that  Lord 
Cornwallis,  who  I  had  been  assured  had  sailed  from 
Charleston,  is  advancing  towards  Hallifax.  In  conse- 
quence of  letters  from  the  same  quarter,  General  Phillip's 
has  altered  his  plans,  and  returned  to  a  place  called 
Brandon  on  the  south  side  of  James  river,  where  he 
landed  the  night  before  last.  Our  detachment  is  under 
march  towards  the  Hallifax  road,  his  command  of  the 
water,  enabled  him  to  land  where  I  could  not  reach  him. 
The  brigade  at  Petersburg  is  destroyed,  and  unless  he 
acts  with  an  uncommon  degree  of  folly,  he  will  be  at 
Hallifax  before  me.  Each  of  these  armies  is  more  than 
the  double  superior  to  me.  We  have  no  boats,  few  militia, 
and  less  arms.  I  will  try  to  do  for  the  best,  and  hope  to, 
deserve  your  approbation. 

Nothing  can  attract  my  sight  from  the  supplies  and 
reinforcements  destined  to  General  Green's  army. 
While  I  am  going  to  get  beaten  by  both  armies  or  each 
of  them  seperately,  the  Baron  remains  at  Richmond 
where  he  hurries  the  collection  of  recruits,  and  every 
other  requisite.  I  have  forbidden  every  department  to 
give  me  any  thing  that  may  be  thought  useful  to  General 
Greene,  and  should  a  battle  be  expected  (an  event  which 

oo 


512  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

I  will  try  to  keep  offj)  no  consideration  will  prevent  our 
sending  to  Carolina  800  recruits,  who,  I  hope,  may  be 
equiped  in  a  fortnight.  When  General  Green  becomes 
equal  to  offensive  operations,  this  quarter  will  be 
relieved.  I  have  written  to  Wayne,  to  hasten  his  march, 
but  unless  I  am  very  hard  pushed,  shall  request  him  to 
proceed  south-ward.  The  militia  have  been  ordered 
out,  but  are  slow,  unarmed,  and  not  yet  used  to  this 
business.  General  Green,  from  whom  I  had  as  yet  no 
letters,  was  on  the  26th,  before  Camden,  but  did  not 
think  himself  equal  to  the  storming  of  the  works.  My 
respects,  if  you  please,  to  Mr.  Washington,  and  compli- 
ments to  the  family.  Most  respectfully  and  affection- 
ately. Yours  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 
Welton,  north  side  of  James  River,  May  18th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL. — Having  been  directed  by 
General  Greene  to  take  command  of  the  troops  in 
Virginia.  I  have  also  received  orders  from  him,  that 
every  account  from  this  quater,  be  immediately  trans- 
mitted to  Congress,  and  to  your  Excellency  ;  in  obedi- 
ence to  which  I  shall  have  the  honor  to  relate  our  move- 
ments, aud  those  of  the  combined  armies  of  the  enemy. 
When  General  Phillips  retreated  from  Richmond,  his 
project  was  to  stop  at  Williamsburg,  there  to  collect 
contributions  which  he  had  imposed,  this  induced  me  to 
take  a  position  between  Pamunkey,  and  Chikahomany 
rivers,  which  equally  covered  Richmond,  and  some 
other  interesting  parts  of  the  State,  and  from  where  I 
detached  General  Nelson  with  some  militia  towards 
Williamsburg. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  513 

Having  got  as  low  down  as  that  place,  General  Phillips 
seemed  to  discover  an  intention  to  make  a  landing,  but 
upon  advices  received  by  a  vessel  from  Portsmouth, 
the  enemy  weighed  anchor,  and -with  all  the  sail  they 
could  croud,  hastened  up  the  river,  this  intilligence  made 
me  apprehensive  that  the  enemy  intended  to  manoeuvre 
me  out  of  Richmond  where  I  returned  immediately,  and 
again  collected  our  small  force,  intelligence  was  the 
same  day  received  that  Lord  Cornwallis  (who  f  had 
been  assured,  to  have  embarked  at  Wilmington^)  was 
marching  through  North  Carolina,  (this  was  confirmed 
by  the  landing  of  General  Phillips  at  Brandon  south  side 
of  James  River. )  Apprehending  that  both  armies  would 
move  to  meet  at  a  central  point,  I  march  towards  Peters- 
burg and  intended  to  have  established  a  communication 
over  Appamatox  and  James  river,  but  on  the  9th, 
General  Phillips  took  possesstion  of  Petersburgh  ;  a 
place  where  his  right  flank  being  covered  by  James 
River,  his  front  by  Appamatox^,  on  which  the  bridges  had 
been  destroyed  in  the  first  part  of  the  invasion,  and  his 
left  not  being  attackable  but  by  a  long  circuit  through 
fords  that  at  this  season  are  very  uncertain,  I  could  not 
(even  with  an  epual  force,)  have  got  any  chance  of 
fighting  him,  -unless  I  had  given  up  this  side  of  James 
River,  and  the  country  from  which  reinforcements  are 
expected.  It  being  at  the  enemy's  choice  to  force  us  to 
an  action,  which  their  own  position  insured  them  against 
OUT  enter  prizes-,  I  thought  it  proper  to  shift  this  situation, 
and  marched  the  greater  part  of  our  troops  to  this  place 
about  ten  miles  below  Richmond.  Letters  from 
General  Nash,  General  Summer,  and  General  Jones  are 
positive  as  to  the  arrival  of  Colonel  Tarleton,  and 
announce  that  of  Lord  Cornwallis  at  Halifax.  Having 
received  a  request  from  North  'Corolina  for  ammunition, 
I  made  a  detachment  of  500  men  -under  General 
Muhlenberg  to  escort  20,000  cartridges  over  Appomatox, 
and  to  divert  the  enemys  attention,  Colonel  Gimat,  with 
his  battalion,  and  4  field  pieces  commanded  their  posi- 


514  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

tion  from  this  side  of  the  River.  I  hope  our  ammunition 
will  arrive  safe,  as  before  General  Muhlenberg  returned 
he  put  it  in  a  safe  road  with  proper  directions.  On  the 
13th,  General  Phillips  died  and  the  command  devolved 
on  General  Arnold.  General  Wayne's  detachment  has 
not  yet  been  herd  of,  before  he  arrives,  it  becomes  very 
dangerous  to  risk  any  engagement  where  fas  the  British 
armies  being  vastly  superior  to  us)  we  shall  certainly  be 
beaten,  and  by  the  loss  of  arms,  the  dispersion  of 
tnilitia,  arid  the  difficulty  of  a  junction  with  General 
Wayne,  we  may  loose  a  less  dangerous  chance  of 
resistance. 

These  considerations  have  induced  me  to  think  that 
with  our  so  very  great  inferiority,  and  with  the  advan- 
tage the  enemy  have  by  their  cavalry  and  naval  superi- 
ority, there  would  be  much  rashness  in  fighting  them  on 
any  but  our  grounds,  and  this  side  of  the  river,  and  that 
an  engagement  which  I  fear  will  be  soon  necessary, 
ought,  if  possible  to  be  deferred  till  the  Pensylvanian's 
arrive,  whom  I  have  by  several  letters  requested  to 
hasten  to  our  assistance. 

No  report  has  lately  come  from  near  Hallifax,  though 
a  very  active  officer  has  been  sent  for  that  purpose  ;  but 
every  intelligence  confirms  that  Lord  Cornwallis  is 
hourly  expected  at  Petersburg,  it  is  true  there  never  was 
such  difficulty  in  getting  tolerable  intelligence,  as  there 
is  in  this  country,  and  the  immense  superiority  of  the 
enemy's  horses,  render  it  very  precarious  to  hazard  our 
small  parties. 

Arnold  has  received  a  small  reinforcement  from 
Portsmouth. 

I  am  dear  Generalj  your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

Yours  &c. 

P.  S.  Injustice  to  Major  Mitchell  and  Captain  Muir, 
who  were  taken  at  Petersburg,  I  have  the  honor  to 
inform  your  Excellency  that  they  had  been  sent  to  that 
place  on  public  service.  I  have  requested  General 
Lawson  to  collect  and  take  command  of  the  militia  south 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  615 

of  Appamatox,  local  impediments  was  thrown  in  the 
road  from  Hallifax  to  Petersburg,  and  precautions  taken 
to  remove  the  horses  from  the  enemy's  reach.  Should 
it  be  possible  to  get  arms,  some  militia  might  be  brought 
into  the  field,  but  General  Greene  and  myself  labour 
under  the  same  disadvantage,  the  few  militia  we  can 
with  great  pains  collect  arrive  unarmed,  and  we  have 
not  a  sufficiency  of  weapons  to  put  into  their  hands.* 


TO  COLONEL  HAMILTON. 
(ORIGINAL.) 

Richmond,  May  23,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  HAMILON, — I  have  been  long  complaining 
that  I  had  nothing  to  do,  and  want  of  employment 
was  an  objection  I  had  to  my  going  to  the  south- 
ward ;  but  for  the  present,  my  dear  friend,  my  com- 
plaint is  quite  of  an  opposite  nature,  and  I  have  so 
many  arrangements  to  make,  so  many  difficulties  to 
combat,  so  many  enemies  to  deal  with,  that  I  am 
much  of -a  General  as  will  make  me  an  historian  of 
misfortunes,  and  nail  my  curse  upon  the  ruins  of  what 
good  soldiers  are  pleased  to  call  the  army  in  Virginia. 
There  is  an  age  past  since  I  heard  from  you.  I  acknowl- 
edge that  on  my  part,  I  have  not  written  so  often  as  I 
ought  to  have  done,  but  you  will  excuse  this  silence  in 
favor  of  my  very  embarrassing  circumstances,  however 
remote  you  may  be  from  your  former  post  of  aid-de- 
camp, to  the  Commander-in-chief,  I  am  sure  you  are 
nevertheless  acquainted  with  every  transaction  at  head 
quarters.  My  letters  have  served  to  report  information, 
•and  I  shall  consequently  abstain  from  repetitions. 

Our  forced  march  saved  Richmond.  Phillips  was 
going  down,  and  thus  far  I  am  very  happy.  Phillips' 
"return,  his  landing  at  Brandon,  south  side  of  James  and 

*  See  Washington's  Letter  of  the  31st  May.— Sparks'  Writ,  of  Wash.,  v.  8.,  p.  60. 


516  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

Appamatox  rivers.  Had  Phillips  marched  to  Hallifax 
1  was  determined  to  follow  him,  and  should  have  risked 
every  thing  rather  to  omit  making  adversion  in  favor  of 
Greene  ;  but  that  enemy  took  possession  of  Petersburg, 
and  obliged  me  to  stick  to  the  side  of  the  river  whence 
reinforcements  are  expected.  Both  armies  have  formed 
their  junction  of  between  four  and  five  thousand  mem 
We  have  no  Continentals  ;  their  infantry  is  near  five  to 
one  ;  their  cavalry  ten  to  one.  Our  militia  are  not 
numerous,  without  arms,  and  not  used  to  war.  Gov- 
ernment wants  energy,  and  there  is  nothing  to  enforce 
the  laws.  General  Greene  has  directed  me  to  take 
command  in  this  State,  and  I  must  tell  you  by  the  way, 
his  letter  is  very  polite  and  affectionate  ;  it  then  became 
my  duty  to  arrange  the  departments,  which  1  found  in 
the  greatest  confusion  and  relaxation  ;  nothing  can  be 
obtained,  and  yet  expenses  are  enormous.  The  Baron 
and  the  few  new  levies  we  could  collect,  are  ordered  to 
South  Carolina.  Is  it  not  strange  that  General  Wayne's 
detachment  cannot  be  heard  of  ?  They  ure  to  go  to 
Carolina  ;  but  should  1  have  them  for  a  few  days,  I  am 
at  liberty  to  keep  them.  This  permission  I  will  improve 
so  far  as  to  receive  one  blow,  that  being  beat,  I  may  at 
least  be  beat  with  some  decency.  There  are  accounts 
that  Lord  Cornwallis  is  very  strong ;  others  make  him 
very  weak.  In  this  country  there  is  no  getting  good 
intelligence.  I  request  you  will  write  me  if  you  ap- 
prove of  my  conduct.  The  command  of  the  waters, 
the  superiority  in  cavalry,  and  the  great  disproportion  of 
forces,  gave  the  enemy  such  advantages  that  I  durst  not 
venture  out,  and  listen  to  my  fondness  for  enterprise  ; 
to  speak  truth,  I  was  afraid  of  myself  as  much  as  of  the 
enemy.  Independence  has  rendered  me  the  more 
Cautious,  as  I  know  my  own  warmth  ;  but  if  the  Penn- 
sylvanians  come,  Lord  Cornwallis  shall  pay  something 
for  his  victory. 

I  wish  a  reinforcement  of  light  infantry  to  recruit  the 
i!5attallions,  or  a  detachment  under  General  Huntington, 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  517 

was  sent  to  me.  I  wish  Lawson  or  Sheldon  were  imme- 
diately dispatched  with  some  horses.  Come  here,  my 
dear  friend,  and  command  our  artillery  in  Virginia.  I 
want  your  advices  and  your  exertions.  If  you  grant 
my  request,  you  will  most  oblige  your  friend. 

Yours,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Richmond,  May  the  24th,17Sl. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL-^The  junction  of  Lord  Corn^ 
wallis  with  the  other  army  at  Petersburg'  was  an  event 
that,  from  local  circumstances,  and  from  their  so  great 
superiority,  it  was  impoisible  to  prevent,  it  took  place 
on  the  20th,  and  having  lost  every  hope  to  operate,  a 
timely  stroke  in  conjunction  with  the  Pensylvanians,  my 
ideas  were  confined  to  defensive  measures.  I  therefore 
moved  up  to  Richmond,  where  precautions  were  taken 
to  remove  every  valuable  property,  whether  public  or 
private. 

By  an  officer  that  was  in  Halifax  after  Lord  Corn^ 
wallis,  I  hear  he  has  not  left  any  post  at  that  place,  it 
appears,  his  sick  and  wounded  remained  at  Wilmington, 
and  were  reimplaced  by  that  garison.  Reports  concer- 
ning the  numbers  are  so  different,  that  I  cannot  trust 
anything  but  my  eyes,  until  such  an  oportunity  offers, 
this  is  the  order  of  march,  in  which  it  is  said  his  Lord- 
ship crossed  Roanoke.  Col.  Tarlton's  legion,  Col, 
Hamilton's  corps,  23d,  71st,  33d,  British  regiments,  200 
tories,  an  Hessian  regiment,  the  light  infantry  and  guards 
with  six  field  pieces.  I  am  told  General  Leslie  and 
Genl.  O'Hara  are  with  him,  I  have  received  successive 
and  repeated  accounts,  that  a  British  fleet  of  transports 
was  arrived  at  Hampton,  they  were  said  to  consist  of 


518  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

14  large  vessels,  and  16  smaller  ones,  under  convoy  of4 
three  large  frigates.  Mr.  Day  D.Q.M.  at  Williamsburg, 
writes  that  on  the  22nd,  12  sail  of  large  ships  ;  a  sloop, 
and  schooner  got  underway  opposite  James  Town  ;  those 
ships  full  of  men,  and  some  horses  on  board  the  sloop. 
We  have  no  accounts  of  any  fleet  having  sailed  from 
New-York. 

Yesterday  afternoon,  we  had  an  heavy  rain,  which 
Colonel  Tarlton  improved  in  surprising  some  militia  in 
Chesterfield  County,  thirty  of  whom  fell  into  his  hands. 

This  morning  at  9  o'clock  the  enemy  moved  from 
Petersburg  towards  City  Point,  and  destroyed  the 
bridge  they  had  lately  constructed  over  Appamatox.  I 
have  just  received  accounts,  that  a  body  of  them  has 
landed  at  Westover.  These  are  said  to  be  the  men  wrho 
came  up  the  river  from  Hampton,  previous  to  which 
General  Arnold  had  received  a  small  reinforcement 
from  Portsmouth. 

To  my  great  mortification,  1  have  heard  this  morning, 
that  the  Pensylvanians  are  not  so  near  as  I  had  been,  by 
every  account  positively  assured.  General  Wayne 
writes  me  he  will  hasten  to  my  support,  and  I  am  confi- 
dent he  will  not  lose  time  at  this  critical  moment,  but 
before  he  arrives,  it  is  impossible  that  900  continentals 
and  40  horses,  with  a  body  of  militia  by  no  means  so 
considerable  as  they  are  reported  to  be,  and  whom  it  is 
so  difficult  to  arm,  be  with  any  advantage  opposed  to 
such  a  superiority  of  forces,  such  a  number  of  cavalry, 
to  which  maybe  added,  their  very  prejudicial  command 
of  the  writers. 

Our  handful  of  men  being  the  point  to  which  militia 
may  be  collected,  and  the  only  check,  however  small  it 
is,  that  the  enemy  may  have  in  this  state,  it  ought,  I 
think,  to  be  managed  with  a  great  deal  of  prudence  as 
its  preservation  is  so  very  important  to  the  fate  of  opera- 
tions in  Virginia. 

With  the  highest  respect.  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Yours  &c. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE*  -    519 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  between  Rappahannock  and  North  Anna,  June  3rd,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Inclosed    you  will   find   the 
copy  of  a  letter  to  General   Green.     He  at  first  had 
requested  that  I  would  directly  write  to  you,  since  which 
his  orders  have  been  different,  but  he  directed  me  to 
forward  you  copies  of  my  official  accounts.     So  many 
letters  are  lost  in  their  way  that  I  do  not  care  to  avoid 
repetitions. — I  heartily  wish,  my  dear  general,  my  con- 
duct may  be  approved  of,  particularly  by  you.    My  cir- 
cumstances have  been  peculiar,  and  in  this  state  1  have 
sometimes  experienced  strange  disappointments.     Two 
of  them,  the  stores  at  Charlottesville,  and  the  delay  of 
the  Pennsylvania   detachment,   have   given   me   much 
uneasiness  and  may  be  attended  with  bad  consequences. 
Your  presence,  my  dear  general,  would  do  a  great  deal. 
Should  these  detachments  be  increased  to  three  or  four 
thousand,  and  the  French  army  come  this  way,  leaving 
one  of  our  generals  at  Rhode  Island  and  two  or  three 
about  New  York  and  in  the  Jerseys,  you  might  be  very 
offensive  in  this  quarter,  and  there  could  be  a  southern 
army  in  Carolina.     Your  presence  would  do  immense 
good,  but  I  would  wish  you  to  have  a  large  force.     Gen- 
eral Washington,  before  he  personally  appears,  must  be 
strong  enough  to  hope  success.     Adieu,  my  dear  gen- 
eral, with  the  highest  respect  and  most  tender  affection, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Yours,* 

P.  S.  If  you  persist  in  the  idea  to  come  this  way 
you  may  depend  upon  about  3000  militia  in  the  field, 
relieved  every  two  months.  Your  presence  will  induce 
them  to  turn  out  with  great  spirit. 

*  This  letter,  and  the  succeeding  one  to  Gen.  Greene,  was  written 
while  LaFayette  was  retreating  before  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  as  he  was 
about  to  cross  the  Rapidan  to  form  a  junction  with  Wayne.     See  the 
answers  in  Sparks's  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  3.  p.  86. 
PP 


520  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE* 

TO  GENERAL  GREENE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  between  Rappahannock and  North  Anna,  June  3rd,  178T, 

SIR, — I  have  done  myself  the  honor  to  write  you 
many  letters,  but  least  some  of  them  should  have  mis- 
carried, which  I  much  apprehend  to  have  been  the  case, 
I  shall  repeat  an  account  of  the  late  transactions  in  this 
state. 

The  junction  of  the  enemy  being  made,  which  for  the 
reasons  I  have  mentioned  it  was  impossible  to  prevent, 
I  retired  towards  Richmond  and  waited  for  Lord  Corn- 
wallis's  movements,  his  regular  force  beingso  vastly  su- 
perior to  mine. — Reinforcements  from  below  having  still 
increased  it,  and  his  cavalry  being  ten  to  one,  I  could 
not  think  to  bring  into  action  a  small  body  of  eight  or 
nine  hundred  men,  that  preserved  the  shadow  of  an  ar- 
my and  an  inconsiderable  number  of  militia  whose  defeat 
was  certain  and  would  be  attended  with  a  fatal  loss  of 
arms. — 

Lord  Cornwallis  had  at  first  a  project  to  cross  above 
Richmond,  but  desisted  from  it  and  landed  at  Westover, 
he  then  proposed  to  turn  our  left  flank,  but  before  it 
was  executed  we  moved  by  the  left  to  the  forks  of 
Chickahomony, — the  enemy  advanced  twelve  miles  and 
we  retreated  in  the  same  proportion  ;  they  crossed 
Chickahomony  and  advanced  on  the  road  to  Fredericks- 
burg.  We  marched  in  a  parallel  with  them,  keeping 
the  upper  part  of  the  country.  Our  position  at  Matta- 
pony  church  would  have  much  exposed  the  enemy's 
flank  on  their  way  to  Fredericksburg,  but  they  stopped 
at  Cook's  ford  on  the  North  Anna  river,  where  the}  are 
for  the  present. — General  Wayne  having  announced  to 
me  his  departure  on  the  23d,  I  expected  before  this  time 
to  have  made  a  junction.  We  have  moved  back  some 
distance  and  are  cautious  not  to  Indulge  Lord  Cornwallis 
with  an  action  with  our  present  force. — 


ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE.  521 

The  intentions  of  the  enemy  are  not  as  yet  well  explained. 
Fredericksburg  appears  to  be  their  object,  the  more  so 
as  a  greater  number  of  troops  are  said  to  be  gone  down 
than  is  necessary  for  the  garrison  of  Portsmouth. — The 
public  stores  have  been  as  well  as  possible  removed,  and 
every  part  of  Hunter's  works  that  could  be  taken  out  of 
the  way. — It  is  possible  they  mean  to  make  a  stroke 
towards  Charlotteville  ;  this  I  would  not  be  uneasy  for, 
had  my  repeated  directions  been  executed,  but  instead  of 
removing  stores  from  there  to  Albemarle  old  Court 
House,  where  Baron  de  Steuben  has  collected  six  hun- 
dred regulars,  and  where  I  ordered  the  militia  south  of 
James  River  to  rendezvous — It  appears  from  a  letter  I 
received  this  evening  that  state  stores  have  been  contrary 
to  my  directions  collected  there,  least  they  should  mix 
with  the  Continentals,  but  my  former  letters  were  so 
positive,  and  my  late  precautions  are  so  multiplied  that 
I  hope  the  precious  part  of  the  stores  will  have  been  re- 
moved to  a  safer  place.  I  had  also  some  stores  removed 
from  Orange  Court  House.  Dispatches  from  the  Gov- 
ernor to  me  have  fallen  into  the  enemies'  hands  ;  of 
which  I  gave  him  and  the  Baron  immediate  notice. 

The  report  of  an  insurrection  in  Hampshire  county, 
and  the  hurry  of  Lord  Cornwallis  to  communicate  the 
copy  of  a  Cartel  with  you  where  it  is  settled  the  prisoners 
will  be  sent  by  such  a  time  to  Jamestown,  are  motives 
that  gave  me  some  suspicions  of  a  project  towards  the 
Convention  troops.  The  number  of  the  rebels  is  said  to 
be  700 — Gen.  Morgan  has  marched  against  them  ;  I 
think  the  account  is  pretty  well  authenticated  tho'  it  is 
not  official. — Having  luckily  opened  a  letter  from  the 
Board  of  War,  to  the  Governor  whereby  the  Conven- 
tion troops  are  ordered  to  New  England,  I  sent  a  copy 
of  it  to  Col.  Wood  and  requested  an  immediate  execution 
of  the  order.  This  motive  and -the  apprehension  that  I 
might  be  interrupted  in  a  junction  with  Gen.  Wayne 
have  induced  me  particularly  to  attend  to  our  re-union, 
an  event  that  was  indispensable  to  give  us  a  possibility  to 
protect  some  part  or  other  of  this  state.  I  was  until 


522  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

lately  ignorant  of  your  orders,  that  the  new  Continentals 
and  militia  under  Baron  de  Steuben  be  united  with  this 
part  of  your  army,  and  the  Baron  intended  shortly  to 
march  to  the  southward. — When  united  to  Gen.  Wayne 
1  shall  be  better  able  to  command  my  own  movements 
and  those  of  the  other  troops  in  this  state. — Had  this 
expected  junction  taken  place  sooner,  matters  would 
have  been  very  different. 

The  enemy  must  have  five  hundred  men  mounted  and 
their  Cavalry  ncreases  daily.  It  is  impossible  in  this 
country  to  take  horses  out  of  their  way,  and  the  neglect 
of  the  inhabitants,  dispersion  of  houses,  and  robberies  of 
negroes,  (should  even  the  most  vigorous  measures  have 
been  taken  by  the  Civil  authority)  would  have  yet  put 
many  horses  into  their  hands.  Under  this  cloud  of  light 
troops  it  is  difficult  to  reconnoitre  as  well  as  counteract 
any  rapid  movements  they  choose  to  make. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  with  great  respect,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  GREENE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Allen's  Creek,  22  miles  from  Richmond,  June  18th,  1781. 

j — The  enemy's  position  at  Cooke's  ford  enabled 
them  either  to  return  to  James  River  or  to  gain  our 
northern  communication.  The  arms  and  other  pre^ 
cious  stores  arriving  from  Philadelphia,  the  impor- 
tance of  a  junction  with  Gen.  Wayne,  and  other  strong 
reasons  mentioned  in  my  last,  made  it  my  first  object  to 
check  the  further  progress  of  Lord  Cornwallis.  Some 
stores  at  the  forks  of  James  River  were  under  the  care 
of  the  major  general,  the  Baron  de  Steuben,  who  had 
five  hundred  regulars  of  the  Virginia  new  levies,  and 
some  militia. 

Col.  Tarlton's  legion  having  pressed  for  Charlottes- 
ville,  where  the  Assembly  were  sitting,  was  disappointed 
in  his  purpose  by  proper  information  being  given  them, 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  521 

One  hundred  and  fifty  arms,   however,   and   a   small 
quantity  of  powder  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands. 

A  detachment  under  Col.  Simcoe  said  to  he  four 
hundred  dragoons  and  mounted  infantry,  proceeded 
to  the  point  of  Fork,  of  which  the  Baron  de  Steuhen 
received  notice.  Both  his  men  and  stores  were  trans- 
ported to  the  south  branch  when  the  Baron  marched  to 
Etaunton  River.  Simcoe  threw  over  a  few  men  which 
destroyed  what  stores  had  been  left.  He  hazarded  a 
great  deal,  but  our  loss  was  inconsiderable. 

In  the  meantime  the  British  army  was  moving  to  the 
point  of  Fork,  with  intention  to  strike  our  magazines  at 
Albermarle  old  Court  House.  Our  force  was  not  equal 
to  their  defence,  and  a  delay  of  our  junction  would 
have  answered  the  views  of  the  enemy.  But  on  the 
arrival  of  the  Pennsylvanians  we  made  forced  marches 
towards  James  River,  and  on  our  gaining  the  South 
Anna  we  found  Lord  Cornwallis  encamped  some  miles 
below  the  point  of  Fork.  A  stolen  march  through  a 
difficult  road  gave  us  a  position  upon  Michunk  Creek, 
between  the  enemy  and  our  magazines,  where,  agreea- 
ble to  appointment,  we  were  joined  by  a  body  of  rifle- 
men. The  next  day  Lord  Cornwallis  retired  towards 
Richmond  (where  he  now  is)  and  was  followed  by  our 
small  army. 

I  have  directed  General  Steuben  to  return  this  way 
and  a  junction  will  be  formed  as  soon  as  his  distance 
permits. 

With  the  highest  regard,  &c.,  &c. 

P.  S.  The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  just 
now  received  from  James  Barron,  Commodore,  dated 
Warwick,  9  miles  from  Hampton,  June  17th,  1781, 

"  At  five  o'clock  this  afternoon  anchored  in  the  road 
from  sea,  35  sail  of  the  enemies'  vessels  ;  viz  :  24  ships, 
10  brigs  and  one  schooner,  which  I  take  to  be  the  fleet 
that  sailed  from  hence  13  days  ago.  Only  4  appear  to 
have  troops  on  board." 


524  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

TO  GENERAL  GREENE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Mr.  Tyter's  plantation,  20  miles  from  Williamsburg,  27th  June,  1781. 

SIR, — My  letter  of  the  18th,  informed  you  of  the 
enemy's  retrograde  movement  to  Richmond,  where  they 
had  made  a  stop.  Our  loss  at  the  point  of  Fork  chiefly 
consisted  of  old  arms  out  of  repair  and  some  cannon, 
most  of  which  have  been  since  recovered. 

On  the  18th  the  British  Army  moved  towards  us  with 
design  as  I  apprehend  to  strike  at  a  detached  corps 
commanded  by  Gen.  Muhlenberg,  upon  this  the  light 
Infantry  and  Pennsylvanians  marched  under  Gen. 
Wayne  when  the  enemy  retired  into  town.  The  day 
following  I  was  joined  by  Gen.  Steuben's  troops,  and  on 
the  night  of  the  20th  Richmond  was  evacuated.  Hav- 
ing followed  the  enemy  our  light  parties  fell  in  with 
them  near  New  Kent  Court  House,  the  army  was  still  at 
a  distance  and  Lord  Cornwallis  continued  his  route  to- 
wards Williamsburg  ;  his  rear  and  right  flank  were  co- 
vered by  a  large  corps  commanded  by  Col.  Simcoe.  I 
pushed  forward  a  detachment  under  Col.  Butler,  but 
notwithstanding  a  fatiguing  march  the  colonel  reports 
that  he  could  not  have  overtaken  them,  had  not  Major 
McPherson  mounted  50  light  infantry  behind  an  equal 
number  of  dragoons,  which  coming  up  with  the  enemy 
charged  them  within  six  miles  of  Williamsburg  ;  such 
of  the  advance  corps  as  could  arrive  to  their  support, 
composed  of  riflemen  under  Major  Call  and  Major 
Willis  began  a  smart  action.  Inclosed  is  the  return  of 
our  loss.  That  of  the  enemy  is  about  60  killed  and  100 
wounded,  including  several  officers,  a  disproportion 
which  the  skill  of  our  riflemen  easily  explains.  I  am 
under  great  obligations  to  Col.  Butler  and  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  detachment  for  their  ardor  in  the  pur- 
suit and  their  conduct  in  the  action.  Gen.  Wayne  who 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  525 

had  marched  to  the  support  of  Butler,  sent  down  some 
troops  under  Major  Hamilton.  The  whole  British 
army  came  out  to  save  Simcoe,  and  on  the  arrival  of 
our  army  upon  this  ground  returned  to  Winsburg.  The 
post  they  occupy  at  present  is  strong  and  under  protec- 
tion of  their  shipping,  but  upwards  of  one  hundred 
miles  from  the  point  of  Fork. 

I  had  the  honor  to  communicate  these  movements  to 
the  executive  of  the  state  that  the  seat  of  government 
might  be  again  re-established  in  the  capital.  Lord 
Cornwallis  has  received  a  reinforcement  from  Ports- 
mouth. 

With  the  greatest  respect  I  have  the  honor  to  be. 


TO  GENERAL  GREENE. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Ambler's  Plantation,  opposite  Jamestown,  8  July,  1781, 

SIR, — On  the  4th  inst.  the  enemy  evacuated  Williams- 
burg  where  some  stores  fell  into  our  hands,  and  retired 
to  this  place  under  the  cannon  of  their  shipping.  Next 
morning  we  advanced  to  Bird's  tavern,  and  a  part  of 
the  army  took  post  at  Norrel's  mill  about  nine  miles  from 
the  British  camp. 

The  6th  I  detached  an  advanced  corps  under  Gen. 
Wayne  with  a  view  of  reconnoitering  the  enemy's  situa- 
tion. Their  light  parties  being  drawn  in  the  pickets 
which  lay  close  to  their  encampment  were  gallantly  at- 
tacked by  some  riflemen  whose  skill  was  employed  to 
great  effect. 

Having  ascertained  that  Lord  Cornwallis  had  sent  off 
his  baggage  under  a  proper  escort  and  posted  his  army 
in  an  opened  field  fortified  by  the  shipping,  I  returned 
to  the  detachment  which  I  found  more  generally  en- 
gaged. A  piece  of  cannon  had  been  attempted  by  the 
van  guard  under  Major  Galvan  whose  conduct  deserves 


526  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

high  applause. — Upon  this  the  whole  British  army  came 
out  and  advanced  to  the  thin  wood  occupied  by  General 
Wayne. — His  corps  chiefly  composed  of  Pennsylvanians 
and  some  light  infantry  did  not  exceed  eight  hundred 
men  with  three  field  pieces.  But  notwithstanding  their 
numbers,  at  sight  of  the  British  the  troops  ran  to  the 
rencontre.  A  short  skirmish  ensued  with  a  close,  warm, 
and  well  directed  firing,  but  as  the  enemy's  right  and 
left  of  course  greatly  outflanked  ours,  1  sent  General 
Wayne  orders  to  retire  half  a  mile  to  where  Col.  Vose's 
and  Col.  Barber's  light  infantry  battalions  had  arrived  by 
a  rapid  move,  and  where  I  directed  them  to  form.  In 
this  position  they  remained  till  some  hours  in  the  night. 
The  militia  under  Gen.  Lawson  had  been  advanced, 
and  the  continentals  were  at  Norrel's  mill  when  the 
enemy  retreated  during  the  night  to  James  Island,  which 
they  also  evacuated,  crossing  over  to  the  south  side  of 
the  river.  Their  ground  at  this  place  and  the  island  were 
successively  occupied  by  General  Muhlenberg.  Many 
valuable  horses  were  left  on  their  retreat. 

From  every  account  the  enemy's  loss  has  been  very 
great  and  much  pains  taken  to  conceal  it.  Their  light 
infantry,  the  brigade  of  guards  and  two  British  regiments 
formed  the  first  line,  the  remainder  of  the  army  the  se- 
cond ;  the  cavalry  were  drawn  up  but  did  not  charge. 

By  the  inclosed  return  you  will  see  what  part  of  Gen. 
Wayne's  detachment  suffered  most.  The  services  ren- 
dered by  the  officers  make  me  happy  to  think  that  altho' 
many  were  wounded  we  lost  none.  Most  of  the  field 
officers  had  their  horses  killed,  and  the  same  accident 
to  every  horse  of  two  field  pieces  made  it  impossible  to 
move  them,  unless  men  had  been  sacrificed.  But  it  is 
enough  for  the  glory  of  Gen.  Wayne  and  the  officers 
and  men  he  commanded  to  have  attacked  the  whole 
British  army  with  a  reconnoitering  party  only,  close  to 
their  encampment,  and  by  this  severe  skirmish  hastened 
their  retreat  over  the  river. — 

Col.  Bowyer  of  the  riflemen  is  a  prisoner. — 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 


AIDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE.  527 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Mrs.  Ruffin's,  August  29th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL — Independent  of  the  answer  to 
your  letter  of  the  1 5th,  I  have  been  very  particular  in 
a  second  letter  intrusted  to  Col.  Moriss.  But  at  this 
moment  wish  to  send  you  minuted  and  repeated  ac- 
counts of  every  thing  that  passes  in  this  quarter. 

The  enemy  have  evacuated  their  forts  at  Troy, 
Kemp's  Landing,  Great  Bridge,  and  Portsmouth.  Their 
vessels  with  troops  and  baggage  went  round  to  York. 
Some  cannon  have  been  left  spiked  up  at  Portsmouth  ; 
but  I  have  not  yet  received  proper  returns. 

I  have  got  some  intelligences  by  the  way  of  this 
servant  I  have  once  mentioned.  A  very  sensible  fellow 
was  with  him,  and  from  him  as  well  as  deserters,  I  hear 
that  they  begin  fortifying  at  York.  They  are  even 
working  by  a  windmill  at  which  place  I  understand  they 
will  make  a  fort  and  a  battery  for  the  defence  of  the 
river.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  something  will  be  done 
on  the  land  side.  The  works  at  Gloster  are  finished  ; 
they  consist  of  some  redoubts  across  Gloster  creek  and 
a  battery  of  18  pieces  beating  the  river. 

The  enemy  have  60  sails  of  vessels  into  York  river,  the 
largest  a  50  gun  ship  and  two  36  frigates. — About  seven 
other  armed  vessels,  the  remainder  are  transports,  some 
of  them  still  loaded  and  a  part  of  them  very  small  vessels. 
It  appears  they  have  in  that  number  merchantmen,  some 
of  whom  are  Dutch  prizes.  The  men  of  war  are  very 
thinly  manned.  On  board  the  other  vessels  there  are 
almost  no  sailors. 

The  British  army  had  been  sickly  at  Portsmouth,  the 

air  of  York  begins  to  refit  them.     The  whole  cavalry 

have  crossed  on  the  Gloster  side  yesterday  evening,  a 

movement  of  which  I  gave  repeated  accounts  to  the 

QQ 


528  ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE. 

militia  there  ;  but  the  light  infantry  and  main  body 
of  the  militia  aie  at  this  place,  Gen.  Wayne  on  the 
road  to  Westover,  and  we  may  form  our  junction  in  one 
day.  I  keep  parties  upon  the  enemy's  lines.  The 
works  at  Portsmouth  are  levelling.  The  moment  I  can 
get  returns  and  plans  I  will  send  them  to  your  Excellency. 
The  evacuation  of  a  post  fortified  with  much  care  and 
great  expense  will  convince  the  people  abroad  that  the 
enemy  cannot  hold  two  places  at  once. — The  Maryland 
troops  were  to  have  set  out  on  Monday  last.  There  is 
in  this  quarter  an  immense  want  of  clothing  of  every 
sort,  arms,  ammunition,  hospital  stores,  and  horse  ac- 
coutrements. Should  a  maritime  superiority  be  expected, 
I  would  propose  to  have  all  those  matters  carried  from 
Philadelphia  to  the  head 'of  Elk. 

The  numbers  of  the  British  army  fit  for  duty  I  at  least 
would  estimate  at  4500,  rank  and  file.  Their  sailors  I 
cannot  judge  but  by  intelligences  of  the  number  of  ves- 
sels. In  a  word  this  part  affords  the  greatest  number  of 
regulars  and  the  only  active  army  to  attack,  which  ha- 
ving had  no  place  of  defence  must  be  less  calculated  for 
it  than  any  garrison  either  at  New  York  or  in  Carolina. 
With  the  highest  respect  and  most  sincere  affection,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Holt's  Forge,  September  the  1st,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL. — I  am  happy  to  inform  your 
Excellency  that  Count  de  Grasse's  fleet  is  safely  arrived 
in  this  bay  ;  it  consists  of  28  ships  of  the  line  with  seve- 
ral frigates  and  convoys  a  considerable  body  of  troops 
under  Marquis  de  St.  Simon. — Previous  to  their  arrival 
such  positions  had  been  taken  by  our  army  as  to  prevent 
the  enemy's  retreating  towards  Carolina. 


ADDITIONAL    CORRESPONDENCE.  529 

In  consequence  of  your  Excellency's  orders  I  had  the 
honor  to  open  a  correspondence  with  the  French  Gen- 
erals, and  measures  have  been  taken  for  a  junction  of 
our  troops. — 

Lord  Cornwallis  is  still  on  York  river  and  is  fortifying 
himself  in  a  strong  position. — 

With  the  highest  respect  I  have  the  honor  to  be,* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  Williamsburg,  Sept.  8th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL. — Your  letter  of  the  2d  Septem- 
ber is  just  come  to  hand.  Mine  of  yesterday  mentioned 
that  the  ships  in  York  river  had  gone  down.  Inclosed 
is  the  account  of  an  engagement  off  the  capes.  What 
disposition  has  been  made  for  the  internal  protection  of 
the  bay,  I  do  not  know.  James  river  is  still  guarded, 
but  we  have  not  as  yet  received  any  letter  from  Count 
de  Grasse  relative  to  his  last  movements.  I  hasten  to 
communicate  them  as  your  Excellency  will  probably 
think  it  safer  to  keep  the  troops  at  the  Head  of  Elks 
until  Count  de  Grasse  returns.  Indeed,  unless  the 
greatest  part  of  your  force  is  brought  here,  a  small  addi- 
tion can  do  but  little  more  than  we  do  effect.  Lord 
Cornwallis  will  in  a  little  time  render  himself  very  re- 
spectable. 

I  ardently  wish  your  whole  army  may  be  soon  brought 
down  to  operate. 

We  will  make  it  our  business  to  reconnoitre  the  ene- 
my's works  and  give  you  on  your  arrival  the  best  de- 
scription of  it  that  is  in  our  power.  I  expect  the  gov- 
ernor this  evening  and  will  again  urge  the  necessity  of 
providing  what  you  have  recommended. 

*  See  answer  of  Washington,  Sparks's  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  8.  p.  156. 


530  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

By  a  deserter  from  York  I  hear  that  two  British  fri- 
gates followed  the  French  fleet  and  returned  after  they 
had  seen  them  out  of  the  capes.  A  spy  says  that  two 
schooners  supposed  to  be  French  have  been  seen  coming 
up  York  river,  but  we  have  nothing  so  certain  as  to  in- 
sure your  voyage,  tho'  it  is  probable  Count  de  Grasse 
will  soon  return. 

I  beg  leave  to  request,  my  dear  General,  in  your  an- 
swer to  the  Marquis  de  St.  Simon  you  will  express  your 
ad  miration  at  this  celerity  of  their  landing  and  your  sense 
of  their  cheerfulness  in  submitting  to  the  difficulties  of 
the  first  moments.  Indeed  I  would  be  happy  something 
might  also  be  said  to  Congress  on  the  subject. 

Your  approbation  of  my  conduct  emboldens  me  to 
request  that  Gen.  Lincoln  will  of  course  take  command 
of  the  American  part  of  your  army  ;  the  division  I  will 
have  under  him  may  be  composed  of  the  troops  which 
have  gone  through  the  fatigues  and  dangers  of  the  Vir- 
gin'a  campaign  ;  this  will  be  the  greatest  reward  of  the 
services  I  may  have  rendered,  as  I  confess  I  have  the 
strongest  attachment  to  these  troops. 

With  the  highest  respect  I  have  the  honor  to  be,* 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Williamsburg,  10  Sept.  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Gourion  is  just  arrived,  he 
says  you  may  be  on  your  way.  We  hasten  to  send  to 
the  commanding  naval  officer  in  the  bay.  Hitherto  I 
had  no  way  to  write  to  you  by  water,  but  Count  de 
Grasse  being  at  sea  we  request  the  officer  he  has  left  to 
have  every  precaution  taken  for  the  safety  of  navigation. 
It  is  probable  they  are  taken,  but  I  would  have  been  too 

*  See  Letter  of  Washington,  Sparks's  Writ,  of  Wash.  v.  8.  p.  157. 
A  plan  of  operations  in  Virginia  at  p.  158. 


ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE.  531 

uneasy  had  I  not  added  this  measure  to  those  that  have 
been  probably  adopted. 

I  wrote  several  letters  to  you  ;  the  surprising  speedy 
landing  of  the  French  troops  under  the  Marquis  de  St. 
Simon ;  our  junction  at  Williamsburg  ;  the  unremitted 
ardor  of  the  enemy  in  fortifying  at  York  ;  the  sailing  of 
Count  de  Grasse  in  pursuit  of  16  sail  of  the  line,  of  the 
British  fleet,  were  the  most  principal  objects.  I  added 
we  were  short  of  flour,  might  provide  cattle  enough.  I 
took  the  liberty  to  advise  James  River  as  the  best  to 
land  in,  the  particular  spot  referred  to  a  mor  particular 
examination,  the  result  of  which  we  shall  s  nd  to-mor- 
row. 

Excuse  the  haste  that  I  am  in,  but  the  idea  of  your 
being  in  a  cutter  leaves  me  only  the  tim ;  to  add  that 
I  am,  &c. 


TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

Camp  before  York,  September  30th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL — You  have  been  so  often  pleased 
to  ask  I  would  give  my  opinion  on  any  subject  that  may 
occur,  that  I  will  this  day  take  the  liberty  to  mention  a 
few  articles. 

I  am  far  from  laughing  at  the  idea  of  the  enemy's 
making  a  retreat.  It  is  not  very  probable,  but  it  is  not 
impossible,  indeed  they  have  no  other  way  to  escape  ; 
and  since  we  cannot  get  ships  at  York  1  would  be  still 
more  afraid  of  a  retreat  by  West  Point  than  any  thing 
else.  The  French  hussars  remaining  here,  our  dragoons 
and  some  infantry  might  be  stationed  somewhere  near 
West  Point,  rather  on  the  north  side.  I  see  the  service 
is  much  done  by  details,  and  to  use  your  permission 
would  take  the  liberty  to  observe  that  when  the  siege  is 
once  begun  it  might  be  more  agreeable  to  the  officers 


532  ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE. 

and  men  to  serve  as  much  as  possible  by  whole  battalions. 
Col.  Scamel  is  taken :  his  absence  I  had  accounted  for 
by  his  being  officer  of  the  day.  I  am  very  sorry  we 
lose  a  valuable  officer,  but  tho'  Col.  Scamel's  being  of- 
ficer of  the  day  has  been  a  reason  for  his  going  in  front, 
I  think  it  would  be  well  to  prevent  the  officers  under  the 
rank  of  generals  or  field  officers  reconnoitering  for  the 
safety  of  their  commands  from  advancing  so  near  the 
enemy's  lines. 

There  is  a  great  disproportion  between  Huntington's 
and  Hamilton's  battalions.  Now  that  Scamel  is  taken 
we  might  have  them  made  equal  and  put  the  eldest  of 
the  two  Lieutenant  Colonels  upon  the  right  of  the 
brigade. 

I  have  these  past  days  wished  for  an  opportunity  to 
speak  with  your  Excellency  on  Count  de  Grasse's  de- 
mand relative  to  Mr.  de  Barrass's  fleet.  This  business 
being  soon  done,  we  may  think  of  Charleston,  at  least 
of  the  harbor  or  of  Savannah.  I  have  long  and  seriously 
thought  of  this  matter  but  would  not  be  in  a  hurry  to 
mention  it  until  we  knew  how  long  this  will  last. 
However  it  might  be  possible,  to  give  Count  de  Grasse 
an  early  hint  of  it  in  case  you  agree  with  him  upon  the 
winterly  departure  of  the  whole  fleet  for  the  West  Indies. 
One  of  my  reasons  to  wish  troops  (tho'  not  in  great 
number)  to  be  sent  to  Glocester  county  by  way  of  West 
Point  is  that  for  the  first  days  it  will  embarrass  any  move- 
ment of  the  enemy  up  the  river  or  up  the  country  on 
either  side,  and  when  it  is  in  Glocester  county  it  may  be 
thought  advantageous  by  a  respectable  regular  force  to 
prevent  the  enemy's  increasing  their  works  there  and 
giving  us  the  trouble  of  a  second  operation,  and  in  the 
same  time  it  will  keep  from  York  a  part  of  the  British 
forces. 

With  the  highest  respect  and  most  sincere  affection  I 
have  the  honor  to  be,  &c.* 

*For  a  "Plan  of  the   Siege  of  Yorktown,"  see  Spark's  Writ,  of 
Wash.  v.  8.  p.  186. 


ADDITIONAL   CORRESPONDENCE.  533 

TO  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

(ORIGINAL.) 

November  29th,  1781. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — Inclosed  you  will  find  some 
numbers,  a  copy  of  which  I  have  kept,  and  which  con- 
tains some  names  that  may  probably  occur  in  our  cor- 
respondence. I  need  not  tell  you,  my  dear  General,  that 
I  will  be  happy  in  giving  you  every  intelligence  in  my 
power  and  reminding  you  of  the  most  affectionate  friend 
you  can  ever  have. 

The  goodness  you  had  to  take  upon  yourself  the 
communicating  to  the  Virginia  army  the  approbation  of 
Congress  appears  much  better  to  me  than  my  writing 
to  the  scattered  part  of  the  body  I  had  the  honor  to 
command.  Give  me  leave,  my  dear  General,  to  recall 
to  your  memory  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  troops  who 
being  already  in  Virginia  were  deprived  of  the  month's 
pay  given  to  the  others.  Should  it  be  possible  to  do 
something  for  them  it  would  give  me  great  satisfaction. 

I  will  have  the  honor  to  write  to  you  from  Boston, 
my  dear  General,  and  would  be  very  sorry  to  think  this 
is  my  last  letter.  Accept  however  once  more  the  ho- 
mage of  the  respect  and  of  the  affection  that  render  ine 
for  ever — 

LAFAYETTE. 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


APPENDIX    L 


A  SUMMARY  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1781, 

TO    SERVE   AS   EXPLANATION   TO   THE   MAP, 


AFTER  the  combat  of  MM.  Destouches  and  Arbuthnot,  the 
project  on  Portsmouth  was  abandoned :  the  French  sailed 
for  Rhode  Island ;  the  militia  were  dismissed,  the  regular 
troops  proceeded  to  the  north.  Arnold  was  afterwards 
reinforced  by  Major-general  Phillips,  and  the  conquest  of 
Virginia  became  the  true  object  of  the  English  during  this 
campaign.  The  allied  army,  under  the  Generals  Wash- 
ington and  Rochambeau,  proceeded  towards  New  York; 
that  of  General  Greene  attacked  the  posts  which  had  been 
left  in  Carolina,  both  about  five  hundred  miles  from  Rich- 
mond :  Major-general  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  was 
charged  with  defending  Virginia. 

April  and  May. — From  preparations  made  at  Ports- 
mouth, he  conceives  that  the  capital  was  the  proposed  aim ; 
a  forced  march  of  his  corps  from  Baltimore  to  Richmond, 
about  two  hundred  miles ;  he  arrives  in  the  evening  of  the 
29th  of  April ;  the  enemy  had  reached  Osborn ;  the  small 
corps  of  militia  assemble  in  the  night  at  Richmond ;  the 
next  morning  the  enemy  at  Manchester,  seeing  themselves 
forestalled,  re-embark  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  and  re-descend 
James  River. 

The  Americans  at  Bottom's  Bridge,  a  detached  corps  in 
Williamsburg ;  General  Phillips  receives  an  aviso,  and  re- 
ascends  the  river,  landing  at  Brandon;  second  reinforce- 
ment from  New  York ;  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  was  reported 

R  R 


536  APPENDIX. 

to  have  embarked  at  Charlestown,  advances  through  North 
Carolina. 

The  Americans  at  Osborn,  to  establish  a  communication 
on  James  and  Appomattox,  are  forestalled  by  the  march  of 
Phillips  to  Petersburg,  the  10th,  at  Wilton ;  the  18th,  can- 
nonading and  reconnoitring  on  Petersburg,  which,  by 
assembling  on  one  point,  the  hostile  parties  permit  a  convoy- 
to  file  off  for  Carolina ;  the  20th,  at  Richmond ;  junction 
of  Lord  Cornwallis  with  the  troops  of  Petersburg;  the 
great  disproportion  of  the  American  corps,  the  impossibility 
of  commanding  the  navigable  rivers,  and  the  necessity  of 
keeping  the  important  side  of  James  River,  do  not  allow 
any  opposition. 

Having  sent  a  portion  of  the  troops  to  Portsmouth,  Lieu- 
tenant-general Lord  Cornwallis  selected  for  himself  an  army 
of  about  five  thousand  men,  three  hundred  dragoons,  and 
three  hundred  light  horsemen ;  crosses  to  Westover.  The 
Americans  had  only  about  three  thousand  men,  formed  of 
one  thousand  two  hundred  regulars,  fifty  dragoons,  and  two 
thousand  militia.  All  the  important  forces  had  evacuated 
Richmond ;  our  troops  at  Wintson's  Bridge ;  a  rapid  march 
of  the  two  corps,  the  enemies  to  engage  an  action,  the 
Americans  to  avoid  it,  and  retain  the  heights  of  the  country 
with  the  communication  of  Philadelphia,  which  is  equally 
necessary  to  our  army  and  to  the  existence  of  that  of 
Carolina. 

June. — The  magazines  of  Fredericksburg  are  evacuated ; 
the  Americans  at  Mattapony  Church;  the  enemy  at  Ches- 
terfield Tavern ;  heavy  rains,  which  will  render  the  Rapid 
Ann  impassable;  Lord  Cornwallis  marches  to  engage  the 
front ;  our  troops  hasten  their  march,  and  repair  to  Racoon 
Ford,  to  await  General  Wayne,  with  a  regular  corps  of 
Pennsylvanians. 

Despairing  of  being  able  to  engage  in  action,  or  cut  off 
the  communication  between  Wayne  and  Philadelphia,  Lord 
Cornwallis  changes  his  own  purpose,  and  endeavours  to 
defeat  that  of  the  Americans ;  he  suddenly  directs  his  move- 
ments against  the  great  magazines  of  Albemarle  Court- 
House  ;  a  detachment  of  dragoons  strives  to  carry  off  the 
Assembly  of  State  at  Charlottesville,  but  does  not  accom- 
plish this  end;  another  detachment  bore  upon  Point-of- 
Fork,  where  General  Steuben  formed  six  or  seven  hundred 


APPENDIX,  537 

recruits ;  he  evacuated  that  point,  and  thought  he  ought  to 
retire  in  the  direction  of  Carolina ;  some  objects  of  slighi 
importance  are  destroyed.  The  passage  of  the  Rapid  Ann 
was  necessary,  to  avoid  being  embarrassed  by  Lord  Corn- 
wallis;  the  communication  with  Philadelphia  was  indis- 
pensable. It  was  impossible  to  hope,  even  by  fighting,  to 
prevent  the  destruction  of  the  magazines  before  the  junction 
with  the  Pennsylvanians.  Lafayette  takes,  therefore,  the 
resolution  of  waiting  for  them,  and,  as  soon  as  they  arrive, 
regains  the  enemy  with  forced  marches. 

The  12th,  the  Americans  at  Boswell's  Tavern  ;  Lord 
Cornwallis  has  reached  Elk  Island.  The  common  road, 
which  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  cross  to  place  himself  above 
the  enemy,  passes  at  the  head  of  Bird's  Creek ;  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  carries  thither  his  advance-guard,  and  expects  to  fall 
upon  our  rear ;  the  Americans  repair,  during  the  night,  a 
road  but  little  known,  and,  concealing  their  march,  take  a 
position  at  Mechunck  Creek,  where,  according  to  the  orders 
given,  they  are  joined  by  six  hundred  mountaineers.  The 
•English  general,  seeing  the  magazines  covered,  retires  to 
Richmond,  and  is  followed  by  our  army. 

Various  manoeuvres  of  the  two  armies ;  the  Americans 
are  rejoined  by  General  Steuben,  with  his  recruits ;  their 
force  then  consists  of  two  thousand  regulars,  and  three  thou- 
sand two  hundred  militia.  Lord  Cornwallis  thinks  he  must 
evacuate  Richmond;  die  20th,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette 
follows  him,  and  retains  a  posture  of  defence,  seeking  to 
manoeuvre,  and  avoiding  a  battle.  The  enemy  retires  on 
Williamsburg,  six  miles  from  that  town ;  their  rear-guard 
is  attacked  in  an  advantageous  manner  by  our  advanced 
corps  under  Colonel  Butler.  Station  taken  by  the  Ame- 
ricans at  one  march  from  Williamsburg. 

July. — Various  movements,  which  end  by  the  evacuation 
of  Williamsburg;  the  enemy  at  Jamestown.  Our  army 
advances  upon  them :  the  6th,  a  sharp  conflict  between  the 
hostile  army  and  our  advance-guard  under  General  Wayne, 
in  front  of  Green  Spring :  two  pieces  of  cannon  remain  in 
their  hands ;  but  their  progress  is  arrested  by  a  reinforce- 
ment of  light  infantry ;  the  same  night  they  retire  upon 
James  Island,  afterwards  to  Cobham,  on  the  other  side  of 
James  River,  and  from  thence  to  their  works  at  Ports- 


538  APPENDIX. 

mouth.  Colonel  Tarleton  is  detached  into  Amelia  County ; 
the  generals  Morgan  and  Wayne  march  to  cut  him  off;  he 
abandons  his  project,  burns  his  wagons,  and  retires  with 
precipitation.  The  enemy  remaining  in  Portsmouth,  the 
American  army  takes  a  healthy  station  upon  Malvan  Hill, 
and  reposes  after  all  its  labour. 

August. — The  Americans  refusing  to  descend  in  front  of 
Portsmouth,  a  portion  of  the  English  army  embarks  and 
proceeds  by  water  to  Yorktown  and  Gloucester.  General 
Lafayette  takes  a  position  at  the  Fork  of  Pamunkey  and 
Mattapony  River,  having  a  detached  corps  upon  both  sides 
of  York  River.  The  Pennsylvanians  and  some  new  levies 
receive  orders  to  remain  on  James  River,  and  think  them- 
selves intended  for  Carolina.  An  assembly  of  militia  on 
Moratie  or  Roanoke  River ;  the  fords  and  roads  south  of 
James  River  destroyed  on  various  pretences ;  movements  to 
occupy  the  attention  of  the  enemy.  As  in  the  event  pre- 
pared by  Lafayette,  the  means  of  escape  would  remain  to 
the  garrison  of  Portsmouth,  Lafayette  threatened  that  point. 
.  General  O'Hara  thinks  he  ought  to  nail  up  thirty  pieces  of 
cannon,  and  join  the  largest  part  of  the  army.  The  whole 
was  scarcely  united,  when  the  Count  de  Grasse  appears  at 
the  entrance  of  Chesapeak  Bay.  General  Wayne  crosses 
the  river,  and  places  himself  in  such  a  manner  as  to  arrest 
the  enemy's  march,  if  he  should  attempt  to  retreat  towards 
Carolina.  The  French  admiral  is  waited  for  at  Cape 
Henry  by  an  aide-de-camp  of  Lafayette,  to  report  to  him 
the  respective  situations  of  the  land  troops,  and  ask  him  to 
make  the  necessary  movements  to  cut  off  all  retreat  to  the 
enemy.  He  anchors  at  Cape  Henry,  sends  three  vessels  to 
York  River,  and  fills  James  River  with  frigates ;  the  Mar- 
quis de  Saint  Simon,  with  three  thousand  men,  lands  at 
James  Island  or  Jamestown. 

September. — The  river  thus  defended,  General  Wayne 
receives  the  order  to  cross  it;  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette 
marches  upon  Williamsburg,  and  assembles  together,  in  a 
good  position,  the  combined  troops,  to  the  number  of  seven 
thousand  three  hundred  men.  He  had  left  one  thousand 
five  hundred  militia  in  the  county  of  Gloucester,  and  sends 
to  hasten  some  troops  coming  from  the  north.  This  station, 
which  closes  all  retreat  to  Lord  Cornwallis,  (our  advance 


APPENDIX.  539 

posts  nine  miles  from  York,)  is  retained  from  the  4th  to  the 
28th  of  September,  Lord  Cornwallis  reconnoitres  the  posi- 
tion of  Lafayette,  and  despairs  of  forcing  it. 

The  6th  September,  the  Count  de  Grasse,  quitting  the 
defended  rivers,  goes  out  with  the  remainder  of  his  fleet, 
pursues  Admiral  Hood,  who  had  presented  himself,  beats 
him,  and  sinks  the  Terror ;  he  takes  the  Iris  and  Richmond 
frigates ;  the  13th,  he  joins,  in  the  bay,  the  squadron  of  M. 
de  Barras,  which  had  sailed  from  Rhode  Island,  with  eight 
hundred  men  and  the  French  artillery :  the  fleet  of  the 
Count  de  Grasse  consists,  at  this  period,  of  thirty-eight  ships 
of  the  line. 

Admiral  de  Grasse  and  General  Saint  Simon,  com- 
manders of  the  French  under  Lafayette,  urge  him  to  attack 
Lord  Cornwallis,  and  'offer  him  a  reinforcement  from  the 
ship  garrisons.  He  prefers  acting  on  more  secure  grounds, 
and  waiting  for  the  troops  from  the  north.  General  Wash- 
ington succeeded  in  reality,  in  completely  deceiving  General 
Clinton  as  to  his  intentions;  he  was  advancing  towards 
Virginia  with  an  American  detachment,  and  the  army  of 
the  Count  de  Rochambeau  embarked  at  the  head  of  Chesa- 
peak ;  they  proceeded,  upon  transports,  to  Williamsburg. 
The  28th,  they  march  upon  New  York,  and  the  combined 
army  commences  investing  it ;  the  29th,  reconnoitring  the 
place ;  the  30th,  the  enemy  evacuates  the  advance  posts, 
and  retires  into  the  works  of  York. 

October. — The  1st,  anew  reconnoitre ;  the  3rd,  a  skirmish 
between  the  legion  of  the  Duke  de  Lauzun  and  that  of 
Tarleton,  in  which  the  former  gained  the  advantage.  That 
legion  and  eight  hundred  men  from  the  ships  under  M.  de 
Choisy  had  joined  the  militia  at  Gloucester.  The  night  of 
the  6th,  the  trenches  were  opened;  that  of  the  llth,  the 
second  parallel.  The  night  of  the  14th,  the  redoubts  of  the 
enemy's  left  were  taken,  sword  in  hand,  the  one  by  the 
grenadiers  and  French  light  horsemen,  the  other  by  the 
light  infantry  of  the  Americans.  The  first  attack  directed 
by  the  Baron  de  Viomenil,  a  field-marshal ;  the  second  by 
the  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  The  morning  of  the  17th,  Lord 
Cornwallis  asked  to  capitulate;  that  same  evening  the  firing 
ceased.  The  English  army,  reduced  to  eight  thousand  men, 
comprising  nine  hundred  militia,  gave  themselves  up  as 
prisoners  of  war. 


APPENDIX   II. 


TO  THE  COUNT  DE  VERGENNES, 

Havre,  18th  July,  1779, 

SIR, — You  ask  me  for  some  ideas  respecting  an  expedition 
to  America.  As  it  is  not  a  fixed  plan  which  you  require, 
nor  a  memorial  addressed  in  form  to  the  ministry,  it  will  be 
the  more  easy  to  comply  with  your  wishes. 

The  state  of  America,  and  the  new  measures  wKich  the 
British  appear  to  be  adopting,  render  this  expedition  more 
than  ever  necessary.  Deserted  coasts,  ruined  ports,  com- 
merce checked,  fortified  posts  whence  expeditions  are  sent, 
all  seem  to  call  for  our  assistance,  both  by  sea  and  land. 
The  smallest  effort  made  now,  would  have  more  effect  on 
the  people  than  a  great  diversion  at  a  more  distant  period ; 
but  besides  the  gratitude  of  the  Americans,  and  particularly 
of  the  oppressed  states,  a  body  of  troops  would  insure  us  a 
great  superiority  on  that  continent.  In  short,  sir,  without 
entering  into  tedious  details,  you  know  that  my  opinions  on 
this  point  have  never  varied,  and  my  knowledge  of  this 
country  convinces  me,  that  such  an  expedition,  if  well  con- 
ducted, would  not  only  succeed  in  America,  but  would  be 
of  very  essential  service  to  our  own  country. 

Besides  the  advantage  of  gaining  the  affection  of  the 
Americans,  and  that  of  concluding  a  good  peace,  France 
should  seek  to  curtail  the  means  of  approaching  vengeance. 
On  this  account  it  is  extremely  important  to  take  Halifax ; 
but  as  we  should  require  foreign  aid,  this  enterprise  must 
be  preceded  by  services  rendered  to  different  parts  of  the 
continent;  we  should  then  receive  assistance,  and,  under 
pretext  of  invading  Canada,  we  should  endeavour  to  seize 
Halifax,  the  magazine  and  bulwark  of  the  British  navy  in 
the  new  world. 


APPENDIX.  541 

Well  aware  that  a  proposition  on  a  large  scale  would 
not  be  acceded  to,  I  will  diminish,  as  much  as  possible,  the 
necessary  number  of  troops.  I  will  say  four  thousand  men, 
a  thousand  of  them  to  be  grenadiers  and  chasseurs;  to 
whom  I  will  add  two  hundred  dragoons  and  one  hundred 
hussars,  with  the  requisite  artillery.  The  infantry  should 
be  divided  into  full  battalions,  commanded  by  lieutenant- 
colonels.  If  commissions  of  higher  rank  should  be  desired 
for  the  older  officers,  you  are  aware  that  the  minister  of 
marine  has  it  in  his  power  to  bestow  such,  as  when  the  ex- 
pedition returns  to  Europe,  will  have  no  value  in  the  land 
service.  We  want  officers  who  can  deny  themselves,  live 
frugally,  abstain  from  all  airs,  especially  a  quick,  peremp- 
tory manner,  and  who  can  relinquish,  for  one  year,  the 
pleasures  of  Paris.  Consequently  we  ought  to  have  few 
colonels  and  courtiers,  whose  habits  are  in  no  respect 
American. 

I  would  ask,  then,  for  four  thousand  three  hundred  men, 
and,  as  I  am  not  writing  to  the  ministry,  allow  me,  for 
greater  ease  in  speaking,  to  suppose  myself  for  a  moment 
the  commander  of  this  detachment.  You  are  sufficiently  ac- 
quainted with  my  principles  to  know  that  I  shall  not  court 
the  choice  of  the  king.  Although  I  have  commanded,  with 
some  success,  a  larger  body  of  troops,  and  I  frankly  confess 
I  feel  myself  capable  of  leading  them,  yet  my  intention  is  not 
to  put  forth  my  own  claims ;  but  to  answer  for  the  actions 
of  a  stranger  would  be  a  folly,  and  as,  setting  talents  apart, 
it  is  on  the  political  conduct  of  the  leader,  the  confidence 
of  the  people  and  of  the  American  army,  that  half  the  suc- 
cess must  depend,  I  am  obliged,  reluctantly,  to  set  forth  a 
character  that  I  know,  in  order  to  establish  my  reasonings 
upon  some  basis. 

Leaving  this  digression,  I  come  to  the  embarkation  of 
these  four  thousand  three  hundred  men.  As  the  coasts  of 
Normandy  and  Brittany  have  been  much  harassed,  I  should 
propose  sailing  from  the  Island  of  Aix;  troops  and  pro- 
visions might  be  obtained  in  the  vicinity.  The  ports 
between  Lorient  and  the  channel  would  furnish  transport 
vessels.*  Lorient  has  some  merchant  ships  of  a  pretty 

*  I  hear  that  you  have,  at  Lorient,  three  vessels  of  the  India  company, 
of  forty  guns  and  eight  hundred  tons.  These  caracks,  if  I  recollect  rightly, 


540  APPENDIX, 

large  burthen.  The  caracks  of  the  channel  are  still  larger, 
and  these  vessels  have,  moreover,  guns  of  large  calibre,, 
which  may  be  of  use,  either  in  battley  or  in  silencing  bat- 
teries on  shore ;  besides,  they  might  be  ready  in  a  very  short 
time.  I  would  embark  the  solcliers,  a  man  to  every  two- 
tons,  and  would  admit  the  dragoons,  with  their  cavalry 
equipage  only.  There  are  many  details  I  would  give  if 
the  project  be  decided  upon,  but  would  be  superfluous  to> 
mention  here.  After  the  experience  of  Count  d'Estaing^ 
who  found  himself  straitened  with  biscuit  for  four  months, 
and  flour  for  two,  I  would  take  the  latter,  adding  biscuit 
for  six  months,  which  would  make  in  all  eight  months*  pro- 
vision for  the  marine  and  the  troops.  As  to  our  escort,, 
that  must  be  decided  upon  by  the  marine ;  but  our  trans- 
ports being  armed  vessels,  three  ships  of  the  line,  one  of 
fifty  guns  for  the  rivers,  three  frigates  and  two  cutters^ 
would  appear  to  me  to  be  more  than  sufficient.  As  the 
expedition  is  especially  a  naval  one,  the  commander  of  the 
squadron  should  be  a  man  of  superior  abilities ;  his  charac- 
ter, his  patriotism,  are  important  points.  I  have  never 
seen  M.  de  Guichen,  but  the  reports  I  have  heard  of  his 
worth  and  modesty  prepossess  me  strongly  in  his  favour. 
Being  then  at  the  Island  of  Aix  with  our  detachment,  and 
the  squadron  that  is  to  transport  it,  the  next  question  is 
how  to  act,  and  our  movements  must  depend  entirely  upon 
circumstances.  According  to  the  first  project,  we  were  to 
sail  by  the  first  of  September,  and  by  the  second  to  remain 
here  until  the  last  of  January  ;*  it  might,  however,  be  pos- 
sible to  sail  in  October.  This  even  appears  to  me  better 
than  remaining  until  the  close  of  January ;  but  the  different 
operations  are  included  in  the  other  plan*  The  enemy's 


are  fifty-gun  ships,  of  nine  hundred  and  sixty  tons  burthen.  A  small 
number  of  vessels  would  be  sufficient ;  they  might  soon  be  got  ready,  and 
their  force  would  diminish  the  required  escort.  As  for  frigates,  you  will 
find  in  readiness,  at  Lorient,  the  Alliance,  the  Pallas,  and  others.  How- 
ever, if  you  are  determined  to  employ  the  vessels  which  are  fitted  out  in 
the  expedition  against  England,  it  would  be  necessary  to  take  ours  from 
St.  Malo  in  preference.  (Note  from  M.  de  Lafayette.) 

*  Virginia  and  Carolina  would  be  the  scene  of  our  operations  during 
the  months  of  December  and  January,  and  we  should  pass  the  remainder 
of  the  winter  at  Boston.  I  greatly  prefer  this  project  to  waiting  until  the 
last  of  January. 


APPENDIX.  543 

fleet  is  to  be  reinforced,  and,  as  we  are  assured  that  four  or 
five  weeks'  preparation  will  be  sufficient  for  the  transports 
and  the  troops,  there  is  nothing  unreasonable  in  forming 
our  projects  for  this  autumn,  and  even  for  the  month  of 
September. 

The  advantages  of  commencing  our  operations  in  that 
month  would  be,  first,  to  deprive  the  enemy  of  Rhode 
Island ;  secure  to  ourselves,  till  spring,  a  fine  island  and 
harbour,  and  have  it  in  our  power  to  open  the  campaign 
when  we  please.  Secondly,  to  establish  our  superiority  in 
America  before  the  winter  negotiations.  Thirdly,  if  peace 
should  be  desired,  to  place  an  important  post  in  our  side  of 
the  balance.  Fourthly,  in  case  the  enemy  should  have  ex- 
tended their  forces  over  any  one  of  the  states,  to  drive  them 
away  with  the  more  ease,  as  we  should  take  them  by 
surprise. 

A  few  days  before  our  departure,  and  not  sooner  (to  pre- 
vent the  consequences  of  an  indiscretion),  three  corvettes 
should  be  despatched  to  America,  with  letters  to  M.  de 
Luzerne,  to  congress,  and  to  General  Washington.  We 
might  write  that  the  king,  desiring  to  serve  his  allies,  and 
agreeably  to  the  requests  of  Dr.  Franklin,  intends  sending 
some  vessels  to  America,  and,  with  them,  a  body  of  land 
forces ;  and  that,  if  congress  is  in  want  of  their  assistance, 
they  will  willingly  lend  their  aid  to  General  Washington, 
but  otherwise  they  will  proceed  to  the  Islands.  This  form 
will  be  perfectly  appropriate.  On  my  part,  I  would  write, 
in  my  capacity  of  an  American  officer,  more  detailed  letters 
to  congress,  and  to  General  Washington.  To  the  latter  I 
would  say,  confidentially,  that  we  have  almost  a  carte  blanche, 
and  unfold  my  plans,  and  request  him  to  make  the  neces- 
sary preparations.  It  should  be  reported  at  our  departure 
that  we  'are  destined  as  a  garrison  to  one  of  the  Antilles, 
while  the  troops  of  these  islands  act  on  the  offensive,  and 
that,  in  the  summer,  we  shall  be  ordered  to  attempt  a  revo- 
lution in  Canada. 

The  squadron  sailing  before  the  10th  of  September,  would 
arrive  at  Sandy  Hook,  off  the  coast  of  Jersey,  early  in 
November,  one  of  the  finest  months  of  the  year  in  inde- 
pendent America.  Our  fleet  would  then  seem  to  threaten 
New  York,  and  we  should  find,  on  our  arrival,  pilots  for 
different  destinations,  and  the  necessary  signals  and  counter- 


544  APPENDIX. 

signs.*  If  Rhode  Island  should  be  the  proper  point  of 
attack,  of  which  I  have  no  doubt,  we  would  steer  southward 
towards  evening,  and,  putting  about  during  the  night,  land 
at  Block  Island,  and  lay  siege  to  Newport. 

There  are  some  continental  troops,  who  might  reach 
Bristol  in  a  day.  There  are  militia  at  Tivertown,  who 
might  also  be  mustered.  Greenwich  having  also  a  body  of 
troops,  must  have  flat-bottomed  boats;  those  at  Sledge 
Ferry  would  be  sent  down.  All  these  we  should  find  on 
the  spot.  To  escape  the  inconveniences  experienced  the 
last  year,  the  naval  commander  should  send,  without  a  mo- 
ment's delay,  two  frigates,  to  occupy  the  eastern  channel, 
and  force  the  middle  one,  a  thing  of  trifling  danger.  The 
vessels  found  there  should  be  destroyed ;  and  as  the  enemy 
usually  leave  at  Conanicut  Island  a  body  of  from  six  to 
fifteen  hundred  men,  we  might  easily  seize  it,  and  make  our 
land  rendezvous  there.  If  the  wind  should  be  favourable, 
the  vessels  might  return  the  same  night,  or  the  end  of  the 
squadron  might  join  them ;  all  these  manoeuvres,  however, 
will  depend  on  circumstances.  Thus  much  is  certain,  that 
the  same  wind  which  brings  us  to  land  will  enable  us  to 
make  ourselves  masters  of  the  eastern  channel,  so  as  to 
assist  the  Americans  at  Bristol  and  Tivertown,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, to  secure  the  middle  channel ;  at  all  events,  however, 
it  is  easy  to  effect  a  landing  in  the  manner  I  describe.f 

Newport  is  strongly  fortified  on  the  side  towards  the 
land,  but  all  the  shore  that  is  behind  the  town  offers  great 
facilities  for  landing ;  it  is,  besides,  too  extensive  to  admit 
of  being  defended  by  batteries.  There  the  French  troops 
might  easily  disembark,  and,  reaching  at  day-break  the 

*  To  deceive  the  enemy,  pilots  might  be  assembled  from  different  parts, 
under  pretence  of  sending  them  to  the  Islands,  at  the  request  of  the  French. 
This  business,  as  well  as  the  preparations  and  signals,  might  be  entrusted 
to  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  royal  corps  of  engineers,  an  officer  of  great 
merit  at  the  head  of  the  American  corps  of  engineers,  who,  under  cover  of 
working  to  the  fortifications  of  the  Delaware,  might  remain  near  Sandy 
Hook. 

-V  The  frigates  or  vessels  necessary  to  protect  the  landing,  either  real  or 
pretended,  of  the  Americans,  should  anchor  in  those  channels.  The  enemy 
would  then  be  obliged  either  to  disperse  among  the  forts,  and  thereby  to 
weaken  their  lines,  or  else  to  leave  the  field  open  to  the  Americans,  who, 
by  a  diversion  upon  the  lines,  would  force  the  enemy  to  have  them  fully 
manned^  and  prerent  them  attending  to  their  rear. 


APPENDIX.  515 

heights  which  command  the  town  and  the  enemy's  lines, 
might  seize  their  outworks  and  storm  all  before  them,  pro- 
tected, if  necessary,  by  the  fire  of  the  ships.  The  enemy, 
scattered  and  confounded  by  these  false  attacks  on  both 
sides  of  the  island,  would  suppose  that  the  system  of  the 
past  year  was  re-adopted.  The  bolder  this  manoeuvre  ap- 
pears, the  more  confident  we  may  be  of  its  success. 

You  are  aware,  moreover,  that  in  war  all  depends  on  the 
moment ;  the  details  of  the  attack  would  be  quickly  decided 
on  the  spot.  I  need  only  say  here,  that  my  thorough  know- 
ledge of  the  island  leads  me  to  think  that,  with  the  above- 
mentioned  number  of  troops,  and  a  very  slender  co-opera- 
tion on  the  part  of  America,  I  might  pledge  myself  to  gain 
possession  of  the  island  in  a  few  days.* 

As  soon  as  we  are  in  possession  of  the  island,  we  must 
write  to  the  state  of  Rhode  Island,  offering  to  resign  the 
place  to  the  national  troops.  Unless  the  state  should  prefer 
waiting  for  the  opinion  of  General  Washington,  our  offer 
would  be  accepted,  and  we  should  be  invited  to  establish 
ourselves  there  during  the  winter.  The  batteries  upon 
Goat  Island,  Brenton's  Point  and  Conanicut  Island,  would 
render  the  passage  of  the  harbour  the  more  secure  to  us, 
particularly  with  the  aid  of  our  vessels,  as  the  British  are 
not  strong  enough  to  attack  us  there,  and  would  never 
attempt  it  in  an  unfavourable  season.  We  should  be  sup- 
ported by  the  country,  and  although  it  is  said  to  be  difficult 
to  procure  provisions,  I  should  endeavour  to  preserve  our 
naval  stores,  and  should  obtain  more  resources  than  the 
American  army  itself. 

The  same  letter  that  announces  to  congress  our  success 
in  Rhode  Island,  of  which,  as  far  as  calculations  may  be 
relied  on,  there  is  little  doubt,  should  also  mention  our  pro- 
posed voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  and  inquire  whether  our 
assistance  is  further  needed.  Their  reply  would  open  to 
new  fields  of  service,  and,  with  their  consent,  we  would  leave 

*  It  is  necessary,  however,  to  consider  all  the  unfortunate  contingencies 
that  may  occur.  If  the  expedition  to  Rhode  Island  should  be  prevented, 
or  if  it  should  not  succeed,  or  if  nothing  can  be  attempted  at  New  York, 
we  ought  then  to  proceed  on  our  expeditions  against  Virginia,  or  Georgia, 
or  Carolina,  and  winter  afterwards  at  Boston,  leaving  Rhode  Island  to 
the  next  season,  as  proposed  in  our  plan  of  sailing  in  the  month  of 
October. 


546  APPENDIX. 

the  sick  in  a  hospital  at  Greenwich,  and  the  batteries 
manned  by  the  militia,  and  proceed  to  Virginia.  It  might 
be  hoped,  without  presumption,  that  James  River  Point,  if 
still  occupied,  would  yield  to  the  united  efforts  of  our 
troops  and  those  of  the  Virginians.  The  bay  of  Chesapeak 
would  then  be  free,  and  that  state  might  bend  its  whole 
force  against  its  western  frontiers.  * 

It  is  impossible  to  estimate  here  the  posts  which  the 
British  occupy  in  America.  Georgia  and  Carolina  appear 
to  need  our  assistance,  and  the  precise  operation  against 
Rhode  Island  must  be  decided  on  the  spot ;  but  to  give  a 
general  idea,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  months  of 
December  and  January  should  be  employed  at  the  south. 
As  the  English  are  obliged  to  station  some  of  their  vessels, 
frigates,  merchant  ships,  or  transports,  in  each  of  their  ports, 
they  would  amount  in  the  whole  to  a  considerable  loss. 

In  the  month  of  February  we  would  return  to  Newport, 
where  we  might  employ  ourselves  in  interchanges  with  New 
York ;  and  the  French  sailors,  exchanged  for  soldiers,  mi^ht 
be  sent  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  M.  d'Orvillers.  Political 
interests  might  be  treated  of  with  congress,  and  the  com- 
mander of  che  detachment  go  to  Philadelphia  to  make 
arrangements  with  the  minister  plenipotentiary  for  the  next 
campaign,  and  to  lay  some  proposals  before  congress  and 
General  Washington.  I  should  propose  sending  for  deputies 
from  the  different  savage  nations,  making  them  presents, 
endeavouring  to  gain  them  over  from  the  side  of  the  English, 
and  to  revive  in  their  hearts  that  ancient  love  of  the  French 
nation  which,  at  some  future  day,  it  may  be  important  for 
us  to  possess. 

It  is  needless  to  say  here,  that  if  wre  should  wait  until  the 
month  of  October,  the  season  would  be  too  far  advanced  to 
think  of  Rhode  Island,  but  the  southern  operations  would 
be  equally  practicable,  and  their  success  more  certain,  as  we 
should  take  the  enemy  by  surprise. 

In  that  case,  instead  of  proceeding  to  Newport,  we 
should  winter  at  Boston,  where  we  should  be  well  received, 
and  provided  with  every  accommodation.  We  could  open 

*  If  the  capture  of  the  Bermudas,  or  some  expedition  of  the  kind,  should 
be  considered  necessary,  the  rest  of  the  winter  might  be  employed  in 
carrying  it  into  effect. 


APPENDIX.  547 

the  campaign  when  we  pleased,  and  might  make  prepara- 
tions beforehand  for  a  great  expedition  against  Rhode  Is- 
land, procuring,  at  the  same  time,  from  the  inhabitants  of  the 
ports  of  the  north  of  Boston,  and  especially  that  of  Marble 
Head,  all  the  information  they  may  have  acquired  about 
Halifax. 

But  let  us  suppose  ourselves  established  at  Newport. 
The  campaign  opens  by  the  close  of  April,  and  the  British 
will  be  in  no  haste  to  quit  New  York.  The  fear  of  leaving 
himself  unprotected  on  our  side  will  prevent  his  executing 
any  design  against  the  forts  on  the  North  River.  It  may 
even  be  in  our  power  to  assist  General  Washington  in 
making  an  attack  on  New  York.  Count  d'Estaing,  before 
his  departure,  thought  that  he  had  discovered  the  possi- 
bility of  a  passage  through  the  Sound.  This  question  I  leave 
to  naval  officers ;  but,  without  being  one  myself,  I  know 
that  Long  Island  might  be  captured,  the  troops  driven  off, 
and,  whilst  General  Washington  made  a  diversion  on  his 
side,  batteries  might  be  erected  that  would  greatly  annoy 
the  garrison  of  New  York.  At  all  events,  preparations 
should  be  made  to  act  against  Halifax  in  the  month  of  June. 
With  the  claims  which  the  other  expedition  would  give  us, 
I  will  pledge  myself  that  we  should  be  assisted  in  this  by 
the  Americans.  I  could  find  at  Boston,  and  in  the  northern 
parts,  trust-worthy  persons  who  could  go  to  Halifax  for  us, 
and  procure  all  the  necessary  information ;  the  town  of 
Marble  Head,  in  particular,  would  furnish  us  with  excellent 
pilots.  The  inhabitants  of  the  north  of  New  Hampshire 
and  Cascobay  should  be  assembled  under  the  command  of 
their  general,  Stark,  who  gained  the  victory  at  Bennington, 
ready  to  march,  if  circumstances  require  it,  by  the  route  of 
Annapolis.  The  country  is  said  to  be  inhabited  by  subjects 
ill  affected  to  British  government ;  *  some  of  them  have 
entered  into  a  correspondence  with  the  Americans,  and 
have  given  assurances  that  they  will  form  a  party  in  our 
favour. 

With  regard  to  ourselves,  I  suppose  that  "we  sail  the 
1st  of  June,  and  that  we  are  accompanied  by  some  conti- 

*  The  last  time  I  was  at  Boston,  I  saw  there  a  respectable  man,  a 
meinber  of  the  council  in  Nova  Scotia,  who  had  secretly  entered  into  the 
service  of  General  Gates,  and  who  assured  us  of  the  favourable  disposition 
of  the  inhabitants. 


548  APPENDIX. 

nental  frigates,  and  such  private  vessels  as  might  be  collected 
in  Boston.  Congress  would  undoubtedly  furnish  us  with 
as  many  troops  as  we  should  require,  and  those  very 
brigades  which  lately  belonged  to  my  division,  and  whose 
sole  object  at  present  is  to  keep  the  enemy  at  Rhode  Island  in 
check,  having  no  longer  any  employment,  would  be  able  to 
join  us  without  impairing  the  main  army.  They  would  come 
the  more  willingly,  as  the  greater  part  of  the  regiments  be- 
longing to  the  northern  part  of  New  England  would  be 
averse  to  crossing  the  Hudson  River,  and  would  prefer  a 
service  more  advantageous  to  their  own  country.*  We 
should  find  at  Boston  cannon  and  mortars.  Others,  if 
necessary,  might  be  sent  from  Springfield,  and  the  corps  of 
American  artillery  is  tolerably  good. 

The  enemy  would  suspect  our  designs  the  less,  as  their 
ideas  run  wholly  upon  an  invasion  of  Canada ;  the  move- 
ments of  the  militia  in  the  north  would  be  considered  as  a 
plan  for  uniting  with  us  at  Sorel,  near  the  River  St.  Francis, 
as  we  ascended  the  St.  Lawrence :  this  opinion,  which,  with 
a  little  address,  might  be  strengthened,  would  awaken  appre- 
hensions and  excite  disturbances  at  Quebec  ;f  and  if  a 
vessel  of  vvar  should  by  chance  be  at  Halifax  ready  for 
sea,  they  would  probably  despatch  it  to  the  threatened 
colony. 

I  have  never  seen  the  town  of  Halifax,  but  those  persons 
who,  before  the  war,  were  in  the  English  service,  and  had 
spent  most  of  the  time  in  garrison,  inform  me  that  the  great 
point  is,  to  force  to  the  right  and  left  the  passage  of 
George's  Island,  and  that  a  landing  might  be  effected  with- 
out difficulty,  either  on  the  side  towards  the  eastern  battery, 
in  order  to  seize  that  battery  and  Fort  Sackville,  or,  which 
appears  to  be  a  shorter  way,  on  the  side  towards  the  town. 
The  northern  suburb,  where  the  magazines  are,  is  but 
slightly  defended.  The  basin,  where  vessels  are  repaired, 
might  also  be_  secured.  Several  officers,  worthy  of  con- 
fidence, have  assured  me,  that  Halifax  is  built  in  the  form  us 
of  an  amphitheatre  ;  that  all  the  houses  might  be  can- 

*  General  Gates,  who  is  popular  in  New  England,  and  perfectly  ac- 
quainted with  Halifax,  has  often  proposed  to  make  an  expedition,  in 
concert,  against  that  town,  with  French  and  American  troops  combined. 

•f-  In  the  present  harassed  state  of  the  English,  I  doubt  if  they  will  have 
in  port  any  vessel  capable  of  joining  the  squadron. 


APPENDIX.  549 

nonaded  by  the  vessels  that  had  forced  the  passage,  and,  in 
that  case,  the  town  would  compel  the  garrison  to  surrender. 
As  the  troops  might  destroy  all  the  works  on  the  shore,  and 
the  vessels  of  war  easily  carry  the  batteries  on  the  islands, 
I  am  well  persuaded,  and  the  accounts  of  ah1  who  have  been 
there  convince  me  still  more,  that  Halifax  would  be  unable 
to  withstand  the  united  power  of  our  forces  and  those  of 
America.* 

The  idea  of  a  revolution  in  Canada  is  gratifying  to  all 
good  Frenchmen  ;  and  if  political  considerations  condemn 
it,  you  will  perceive  that  this  is  to  be  done  only  by  suppress- 
ing every  impulse  of  feeling.  The  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages of  this  scheme  demand  a  full  discussion,  into  which 
I  will  not  at  present  enter.  Is  it  better  to  leave  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Americans  an  English  colony,  the 
constant  source  of  fear  and  jealousy,  or  to  free  our  oppressed 
brethren,  recover  the  fur  trade,  our  intercourse  with  the 
Indians,  and  the  profit  of  our  ancient  establishments,  with- 
out the  expenses  and  losses  formerly  attending  them  ?  Shall 
we  throw  into  the  balance  of  the  new  world  a  fourteenth 
state,  which  would  be  always  attached  to  us,  and  which,  by 
its  situation,  would  give  us  a  superiority  in  the  troubles  that 
may,  at  some  future  day,  agitate  America  ?  Opinions  are 
very  much  divided  on  this  topic.  I  know  yours,  and  my 
own  is  not  unknown  to  you  ;  I  do  not,  therefore,  dwell  on  it, 
and  consider  it  in  no  other  light  than  as  a  means  of  deceiving 
and  embarrassing  the  enemy.  If,  however,  it  should  at  any 
time  be  brought  under  consideration,  it  would  be  necessary 
to  prepare  the  people  beforehand;  and  the  knowledge 
which  I  was  obliged  to  obtain  when  a  whole  army  was  about 
to  enter  that  country  has  enabled  me  to  form  some  idea  of 
the  means  of  succeeding  there.  But  to  return  to  Nova 
Scotia :  part  of  the  American  troops,  who  will  accompany 
us,  and  such  of  the  inhabitants  as  take  up  arms  in  our  favour, 
might  be  left  there  as  a  garrison.  It  would  be  easy  to  de- 
stroy or  take  possession  of  the  English  establishments  on  the 

*  I  have  not  made  any  allowance  for  the  diversion  in  the  north,  of  which, 
however,  I  feel  certain,  and  if  the  troops  should  not  go  to  Annapolis, 
would,  at  least,  compel  a  part  of  the  British  garrison,  and  such  of  the  inha- 
bitants as  adhered  to  the  royal  party,  to  remain  in  the  fort. 


550  APPENDIX. 

banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  after  this  movement  we  should 
direct  our  course  according  to  circumstances.  Supposing 
that  we  could  return  to  Boston  or  Rhode  Island  during  the 
Tjionth  of  September,  and  that  New  York  had  not  yet  been 
taken,  we  might  still  be  enabled  to  assist  General  Washing- 
ton. Otherwise  St.  Augustine,  the  Bermudas,  or  some 
other  favourable  points  of  attack,  migH  engage  our  atten- 
tion ;  on  the  other  hand,  if  we  should  be  ordered  home,  we 
might  reach  France  in  three  weeks  or  a  month  from  the 
banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  alarm  the  coasts  of  Ireland  on 
our  way. 

If  the  September  plan,  which  combines  all  advantages, 
appears  too  near  at  hand,  if  it  were  decided  even  not  to  send 
us  in  October,  it  would  be  necessary  to  delay  our  departure 
until  the  end  of  January.  In  this  case,  as  in  the  former, 
we  should  be  preceded  fifteen  days  only  by  corvettes  ;  we 
should  pass  the  month  of  April  in  the  south,  attack  Rhode 
Island  in  May,  and  arrive  at  Halifax  the  last  of  June.  But 
you  are  aware  that  the  autumn  is,  on  many  accounts,  the 
most  favourable  time  for  our  departure ;  at  all  events,  you 
will  not  accuse  me  of  favouring  this  opinion  from  interested 
motives,  as  a  winter  at  Boston  or  Newport  is  far  from  equi- 
valent to  one  spent  at  Paris.* 

These  views,  in  obedience  to  your  request,  I  have  the 
honour  to  submit  to  your  judgment ;  I  do  not  affect  to  give 
them  the  form  of  a  regular  plan,  but  you  will  weigh  the 
different  schemes  according  to  circumstances.  I  trust  that 
you  will  receive  these  remarks  with  the  greater  indulgence, 
as  my  American  papers,  those  respecting  Halifax  excepted, 
are  at  Paris,  and,  consequently,  almost  all  my  references 
are  made  from  memory ;  beside,  I  did  not  wish  to  annoy 
you  with  details  too  long  for  a  letter,  and  if  you  are  desirous 
to  converse  more  freely  on  the  subject,  the  impossibility  of 
leaving  the  port  of  Havre,  at  present,  will  allow  me  time  to 
spend  three  days  at  Versailles. 

*  Fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  select  troops  thrown  into  America 
might  aid  General  Washington,  and  enable  him  to  act  on  the  offensive,  by 
supplying  him  with  good  heads  to  his  columns,  and  by  uniting  the  French 
with  an  American  division  for  combined  operations.  This  plan  would  be 
of  some  use,  but  it  appeared  to  me  that  you  wished  for  one  offering  results 
of  greater  importance. 


APPENDIX.  551 

I  am  thoroughly  convinced,  and  I  cannot,  without  violat- 
ing my  conscience,  forbear  repeating,  that  it  is  highly  im- 
portant for  us  to  send  a  body  to  America.  Ifjhe  United 
States  should  object  to  it,  I  think  it  is  our  duty  to  remove 
their  objections,  and  even  to  suggest  reasons  for  it.  But  on 
this  head  you  will  be  anticipated,  and  Dr.  Franklin  is  only 
waiting  a  favourable  occasion  to  make  the  propositions. 
Even  if  the  operations  of  the  present  campaign,  with  the 
efforts  of  Count  d'Estaing,  or  some  other  fortunate  accident 
should  have  given  affairs  a  favourable  turn,  there  will  be  a 
sufficient  field  for  us,  and  one  alone  of  the  proposed  ad- 
vantages would  repay  the  trouble  of  sending  the  detach- 
ment. 

A  very  important  point,  and  one  on  which  I  feel  obliged 
to  lay  the  greatest  stress,  is  the  necessity  of  perfect  and  in- 
violable secrecy.  It  is  unnecessary  to  trust  any  person,  and 
even  the  men  who  are  most  actively  employed  in  fitting  out 
the  detachment  and  the  vessel  need  not  to  be  informed  of  the 
precise  intentions  of  government.  At  farthest,  the  secret 
should  be  confided  to  the  naval  commander,  and  to  the 
leader  of  the  land  forces,  and  not  even  to  them  before  the 
last  moment. 

It  will  certainly  be  said  that  the  French  will  be  coldly 
received  in  that  country,  and  regarded  with  a  jealous  eye 
in  their  army.  I  cannot  deny  that  the  Americans  are 
difficult  to  be  dealt  with,  especially  by  the  Frenchmen ;  but 
if  I  were  intrusted  with  the  business,  or  if  the  commander 
chosen  by  the  king,  acts  with  tolerable  judgment,  I  would 
pledge  my  life  that  all  difficulties  would  be  avoided,  and 
that  the  French  troops  would  be  cordially  received. 

For  my  own  part,  you  know  my  sentiments,  and  you  will 
never  doubt  that  my  first  interest  is  to  serve  my  country. 
I  hope,  for  the  sake  of  the  public  good,  that  you  will  send 
troops  to  America.  I  shall  be  considered  too  young,  I  pre- 
sume, to  take  the  command,  but  I  shall  surely  be  employed. 
If,  in  the  arrangement  of  this  plan,  any  one,  to  whom  my 
sentiments  are  less  known  than  to  yourself,  in  proposing 
for  me  either  the  command  or  some  inferior  commission, 
should  assign  as  a  reason,  that  I  should  thereby  be  induced 
to  serve  my  country  with  more  zeal  either  in  council  or  in 
action,  I  took  the  liberty  (putting  aside  the  minister  of  the 


V. 

Mrs.  Shelley's  New  Work. 
FALKNER  —  A    NOVEL. 

BY       MRS.        SHELLEY. 

Authoress  of  "  Frankenstein,"  "  The  Last  Man,"  &c. 

VI. 

MEMOIRS    OF    MRS.   HEMANS, 

BY     H.     F.     CHORLEY. 

2  vols.  beatifully  Illustrated. 

VII. 

Mr.  Grant's  New  Work. 
THE    GREAT    METROPOLIS. 

BY   THE   AUTHOR   OF 

"  Random  Recollections  of  the  Lords  and  Commons"  fyc 
Fourth  Edition. 

vin. 
Mr.  Bulwer's  New  Drama: 

THE  DUCHESS  DE  LA  VALLIERE 

A  Play  in  Five  Acts. 

Second  Edition. 

IX. 

Mr.  Willis's  New  Work. 

INKLINGS    OF    ADVENTURE. 

BY     N.      P.      WILLIS,      ESQ. 
Third  Edition. 


LUCIEN  BONAPARTE'S  MEMOIRS, 

(Prince  of  Canino.) 
WRITTEN     BY     HIMSELF. 


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